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Social Science
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© Government of Tamil Nadu
First Edition - 2011
(This book is published under Uniform System of School Education Scheme]
TEXT BOOK TEAM
AUTHORS
Tmt. KANNAMMAL, Thlru. AAARUTHACHALAM,
Sri Sankara Vidyalaya Matric. SBOA Matric. Hr. Sec. School,
Hr. Sec. School, Pammci, Chennai. Anno Nogar, Chennoi.
Tmt. INDRA KOSALRAM, Tmt. GEETHA MANI,
G.Hr.Sec.School, Sri Sankoro Vidyalaya Matric.
Perangiyur, Villupuram District. Hr. Sec. School, Pammal, Chennai.
Tmt. S.UMA MAHESWARL Tmt. S. CHITRA,
Govt.Boys Hr.sec.school, P.U.M.S, 17, Asthinapuram
Perundurai, Erode district Kattongolothur Block, Kancheepuram.
Author cum Reviewer
Tmt. N. BHUVANESWARl Tmt. ARUNA RATHNAM,
(Former Teacher) Good Shepherd Matric. Education Advisor, UNICEF,
Hr. Sec. School, College Road, Chennai - 6. Adyar, Chennai - 20.
AUTHOR CUM CHAIRPERSON
Tmt. SUDHA VYAS, M.A., M.Ed.,
(Former Teacher], Good Shepherd Motric.Hr. Sec. School, College Road, Chennai- 6.
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ARTIST TEAM
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Thiru S. MANOHARAN, Govt.Hr.Sec.School. Silamalai,Theni District.
Thiru M. JOHN RAJA, P.U.P.S Vengadesapuram,Cuddalore District
Thiru N.SRINATH LAYOUT DESIGN
Thiru S. DHILIP, PUMS, Melpappampadi, Villupuram District.
Textbook Printing
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■51
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«»-
CONTENTS
^
*"
r
1
s
NO.
TOPICS
NO.
1.
OUR GOLDEN PAST
1 1
2.
GOING ON TRIPS
10
3.
OUR WORT, D
20
V
4.
5.
REPRESENTATIONS
THE GROUND UNDER OUR FEET
31
40
6.
OUR GREEN COVER
47
7.
TREASURES UNDER THE GROUND
55
8.
BEYOND FRONTIERS
61
)
9.
10.
OUR GOVERNMENT
RURAL GOVERNING BODIES
71
81
11.
ROAD SAFETY
94
12.
OUR HERITAGE
108
\ 1
13.
INSTRUMENTAL MELODIES
121
ANCIENT TAMIL KINGDOMS AND KINGS (SANGAM AGE)
Have you heard of any ancient Tamil kingdoms?
Winen we mention tine words "Ancient Tamil Kingdoms and Kings" we
at once think of the Cheras, Cholas and Pandyas.
Do you know that the history of Tamil kingdoms starts from the
Sangam Age?
It is generally believed that the Sangam age dates from 300 B.C. to
300 A.D. There were many kings in various parts of Tamil Nadu. During this
period, Tamil people were largely farmers, hunters and fishermen. There
were groups of poets who sang songs about the kings, about life in this
period and were called Sangam poets. Hence these 600 years are known
as the Sangam age.
ANCIENT TAMILNADU
The history of ancient Tamils is said to be more than two thousand
years old. The extent of the Tamil land was from Tirupati then called
Vengadam in the north to Kanyakumari in the south and from the Arabian
Sea in the west to the Bay of Bengal in the east.
How do we know about the ancient Tamils?
Tamil poetry and writing from those times give us very vivid images of
the life and society of the ancient Tamil people. This literature is called
Sangam literature. Apart from Sangam literature, there are other sources of
information.
We get information about ancient Tamil Nadu from the inscriptions of
Asoka and the Arthasastra of Chanakya.
A Greek book called Periplus of the Erythrean Sea also talks about Tamil
Nadu during the Sangam age. From the Roman coins, beads and pottery found
in Arikamedu near Puducherry, we learn that Tamils and Romans had traded
with each other. Pottery and other materials found in Adichanallur and other
places were used by people who lived during the Sangam Age.
THE THREE SANGAM ERAS
Sangam means association. Sangams of Tamil writers, poets and
scholars were supported by various kings. From all the evidence we have
today, we find there were three great Tamil Sangams. The first kingdom was in
the ancient Thenmadurai which was submerged under the sea.
The second was in Kapadapuram which was away from the
seashore. But even this was washed away by the sea.
The third Sangam kingdom was established in a region which
is today's Madurai.
There were three major kingdoms in the early and later Sangam Eras.
They were as follows:
1. Chera 2. Chola 3. Pandya
Other than the kings there were many chieftains and smaller kings
under them ruling the land. They were Velirs, Kosars, Adhiyamans and
Gungers.
The kings were known for their valour. They were great patrons of fine
arts. Poets were held in high esteem. The kings were just, generous and
brave. Their aim was to have a happy safe kingdom where the subjects
were protected and contented.
The Sangam period produced many great works of literature. But
much of it has been lost. What is left has been compiled in two collections
namely Patthupattu and Ettuthogai. These poems tell us about the life of the
people, their values and the greatness and benevolence of the kings and
chieftains of that time. The book "Tholkappiam" spelt out all the
grammatical elements of Tamil.
The following table will give us an idea of the significant aspects of
the three majorTamil Kingdoms.
Kingdoms
Capitals
Flags and
Emblems
Ports
Areas of rule
Chera
Vanji
Bow
and Arrow
Thondi, Musiri
Today's Kerala,
Salem, Coimbatore
Chola
Uraiyur
Tiger
Kaveri
poompattinam
Chittur, North and
South Arcot,
Chengalpet,
Thanjavur, Trichy
Pandya
Madurai
Fish
Korkai,Kayal
Madurai, Pudukottai,
Ramanathapuram,
Tirunelveli
Now we shall read about three outstanding kings of this age - one
from each kingdom.
CHERAN CHENGUTTUVAN
Have you heard of the famous literary masterpiece
Silappadhikaram? Do you know who wrote it? It was
Efango Adigal. Cheran Chenguttuvan was the brother of
this great writer. He was the greatest of the Chera kings.
He is remembered as a great warrior, a generous and
kind-hearted ruler and a great patron of Tamil poets.
Many poems celebrate his glories in the battlefield.
Do you
The Sangam poets Paranar and Seethalal Sathanar wet
sent in his co' ^
The Chera kingdom was near the Arabian Sea. So Cheran
Chenguttuvan had a strong navy. He put down the sea pirates who had
been troubling merchant ships. So sea trade grew during his rule. Cheran
Chenguttuvan went on a military expedition to North India. After defeating
all the kings who opposed him on his way, he reached the Himalayas. There
he gathered a stone for making a statue of Kannagi and returned home. He
had a statue made and placed it in the temple of Kannagi which he built to
celebrate her greatness.
KARIKALACHOLAN
Karikalan was a great warrior and the greatest
Chola king of the Sangam Age. He defeated the Chera
and the Pandya kings of his timeat Vennt nearThanjavur.
The defeated kings accepted his supremacy. There are
several songs in Sangam literature praising his
greatness.
Karikalan's greatest contribution was the
improvement he made to the Kavery delta irrigation system. To prevent
flooding of rice fields he built dams across
river Kaveri. Important among these was the
checkdambuiltatKallanai which diverts the
flood waters from the Kaveri to Kollidam.
Kallanai is the first masonry dam built in the
world and it remains strong even now.
Karikalan encouraged art and literature. Great poets like
MudathamakkanniyarandUruthirankannanar adorned his court.
Do you know what these two poets wrote?
Mudathamakkanniyar wrote 'Porunaratrupadai and
Uruthirankannanar wrote 'Pattinappalai'.
Both are great Sangam Tamil works.
Another great Chola King
was Kopperum Chola. He was
renowned for friendship. The great
poet called Pisirandaiyar and this
king were examples of a strong
friendship. The special aspect of
this bond was the fact that they had
never met each other.
Friendship of Kopperum OholB
and Pisirandaiyar
PANDYAN NEDUNCHEZHIAN
Nedunchezhian was a great king of the Pandyas. At a place called
Thalaiyalanganam he defeated the combined armies
of the Chera and Chola kings with the support of five
chieftains. With this victory he established his
supremacy. After this he assumed the title
Thalaiyalanganattiu Cheruvendra Pandyan. He is
referred to by this name in Sangam literature.
With the patronage of Pandyan Nedunchezhian
the Tamil Sangam was held at Madurai. He was a
liberal patron of Tamil poets and scholars.
OTHER KINGS OF THE SANGAM AGE
The kings who ruled smaller
areas were known as Velirs. They were
loyal to the three great Tamil Dynasties.
Adiyaman was the most famous
among them.
Something for you I
The poems Purananooru,
Agananooru^KurunihogBl and
NatrSnat praise his greatness.
ADHTAMAN
The first Auvalyar was a Sangam poet. She was supported by a King
Adiyaman NedumanAnclofTakatur.ThlsareaisIn present day Dharmapurl
in TamllNadu. She sang his praises. A Nelli plant with special powers to
prolong life grew in a crevice on the summit of an ancient mountain that was
hard to climb. Adiyaman brought it for her and prolonged her life. This is an
example of how much the ancient Tamil kings valued poets.
Adiyaman was also renowned for his valour. Having no idea of his
power, a king called Thondaiman tried to attack Takatur.
Auvalyar went as an ambassador and spoke to
Thondaiman about Adiyaman's bravery and strength.
Due to this Thondaiman gave up his plans to wage a war.
^iS^
KADAIEZHU VALLALGAL
There were some kings called Kadaiezhu Vallalgal. Thirumudi Kari,
Paari, Valvil Oari, Adiyaman, Perumpeyar Pegun, Aai Andiran and Nalli
were known as the Seven Vallalgal.
1. Thirumudi Kari gave his horse and kingdom to Iravalas a tribe.
2. Paari vallal gave his chariot to support a creeper.
3. Valvil Oari gave his kingdom to the artists of Kollimalai.
4. Adiyaman gave a nelli fruit to Auvaiyar.
5. Pegun gave a shawl to protect a peacock from exposure to cold.
6. Aai Andiran gave the rare dress he obtained to Lord Shiva.
7. Nalli helped people who came to him for help in the forest without
revealing his true identity.
Pari giving tiis chariot
to support a creeper ,
Auvai
Adiyaman
They were generous, benevolent kings who felt that service to the
people was their duty. They were the seven greatest philanthropists of the
last Sangam era.
GREAT POETS OF THE SANGAM AGE.
Notable among the great poets were Kapilar, Paranar, Nakkirar and
Pisirandaiyar. Among women Auvaiyar, Angavai and Sangavai were
famous. Many ofthe kings themselves were talented poets.
Ir^SV
!i:!lliliii;:|
w
How would we describe the great kings?
During the Ancient Sangam Age the kings were
just and compassionate. They cared about the welfare
oftheirsubjects and did their utmost forthem.
Agriculture, industry, crafts and trade flourished during this time thus
spreading prosperity all around. Foreign trade with Rome, Egypt and Arabia
flourished. Roman coins found in many parts of Tamil Nadu are proof of this.
Foreign ships bearing gold, halted at Tamil ports and took back pepper,
spices, pearls and fine textiles made of cotton and silks.
A special aspect was the great friendships between the kings and
scholars. The scholars even advised the kings when they were going wrong.
SOME SALIENT FEATURES
The ancient Tamil kings were very much people oriented. They did
not build palaces or monuments for themselves but built temples, forts,
dams, ships etc. which were useful for their subjects. They displayed
sound technical and engineering knowledge in their buildings. There was
great artistry also in them. A Chola speciality is their metal craft where
they combined five metals to make idols and statues.
INTERESTING FACTS
o In ancient days Tamil Nadu was known as Tamilagam.
e The ancient Tamils were highly civilized, they lived in villages and
fortified cities,
o The ancient Tamils lived a life of harmony with their natural
surroundings,
o The river Kauveri was also called Ponni in ancient times.
• The ancient Chola kingdom was called Ponnivalanadu.
o People fondly called Karikala Cholan, "Karikal Peruvalathan"
o A popular account about Karikalan's name says that "Kari" in
Tamil means elephant and "Kala" means destroyer. Thus this name
refers to the destroyer of the elephant forces of his enemies,
o Another version says that when Karikalan was young, his enemies
set fire to his tent and consequently he got burns in his legs.
This earned him the name "Karikalan"
o Pearl fishing was the chief industry of the Pandya Kingdom.
Exercise
1 . Recall and fill up this table
Kingdom, Flag, Emblem of the three ancient kingdoms.
2. Match the following.
1. Mudathamakkanniyar a) Thirukkural
2. ElangoAdigal b) Porunaratrupadai
3. Uruthirankannanar c) Silappadhikaram
4. Thiruvalluvar d) Pattinappalai
3. Name any two collections of poems that praise Pandyan
Nedunchezhian
4. State whether these statements are true or false.
a) Karikalan was also known as Thalaiyalanganathu
Cheruvendra Pandyan.
b) Karikalan built the dam at Kallanai.
c) Paranar and Seethalai Sathanar were present at the court of Karikalan.
d) Pandyan Nedunchezhian built a temple of Kannagi.
5. Draw the flags of the Ancient Cholas,Cheras and Pandyas.
6. Find out about Paari vallal and narrate the story.
7. With which king or kingdom would you associate these places?
Madurai, Trichy and Kerala?
8. If you were a child living in Poompuhar during the ancient times what
would you have seen?
Project
1. Enact the story of Kannagi.
2. Make crowns, jewels, flags etc. with cardboard or paper.
3. Find out about the flowers and plants associated with the ancient
Tamil Kingdoms.
4. Complete the mind maps for the other two kingdoms looking at the
example below
Pandyas
Capital
Madura!
Emblem
Fish
Areas of Rule
Madurai, Pudukottai,
Ramanathpuram, Tirunelvelli
Important King
Nedunchezhian
For your information
We date events based on the year of the birth of Christ.
The years before the birth of Christ are referred to as B.C.
The years after the birth of Christ are referred to as A.D.
B.C
Birth of Christ
A.D
I — \ — \ — \ — \ — \ — \ — r
400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50
1 \ \ \ \ \ \ 1
50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400
We count backwards for the years before Christ.
We count forward for the years after Christ.
For Teachers
North Arcot is today's Vellore and Tiruvannamalai District. South Arcot
is now Cuddalore District. Teachers can relate the other places of the
ancient kingdoms to the present- day districts and explain to the students.
OING ON TRIP
It is human nature to be interested in new things. People have a desire
to explore. From early days people looked for new places and new routes by
land and sea. During the Sangam Age in ancient times, people of
TamilNadu had trade relations with Greece, Rome, Egypt, Arabian lands,
Malaysia, East Indian islands, Srilanka and China. Historians have stated
that around 120 ships would travel between Greece and India every year.
Many kings of the Sangam Age have themselves travelled to different lands
for maritime trade. Similarly many people from different lands travelled by
land routes and sea routes to India. Some explorers set out for faraway
lands for personal thrill.
PEOPLE WHO CAME BY LAND ROUTES
India was the golden land of ancient times. It was renowned for its
spiritual, cultural and material wealth. People of different countries wished
to visit India to learn about its rich heritage.
Travellers came to India for trading,
^ ^ pilgrimages and to find out about the social,
F^ political and economic conditions of people
during that time. They have given interesting
accounts of their experiences regarding the
above in their books. These explorers were from
countries across the seas.
We shall now read about the famous
travellers who came to India from different
countries in the world. They came by land routes.
MEGASTHENES (B.C 350-290)
Megasthenes was a Greek traveller and geographer. He became an
ambassador of Seleucus I of Syria to the court of Chandragupta Maurya, In
Patallputra, India. He entered India through the region of Punjab and
proceeded from there by the royal road to Patallputra which Is now known
as Patna.
There are aocounts of Megasthenes having visited Madural, the
capital of Pandlya kingdom. His observations were recorded In "Indica".
This book served as an important source to many later writers. He
describes the natural beauty of the Himalayas and Srilanka. His book
regarding his travels around India of that time was one of the first accounts
of the country available to the west.
FA-HIEN{B.C 422-337)
Fa-Hlen was a Chinese Buddhist
monk. He visited India during the reign of
Chandragupta II. He gathered Buddhist
scriptures from India. He travelled
extensively to see Buddhist monasteries,
sculptures and Inscriptions.
HIEUN -TSANG(A.D 603-664)
Hieun - Tsang was one of the outstanding Chinese
scholars who visited India In search of knowledge. He
came to India through the Kashmir valley during the reign
ofHarshavardhana.
He spent 12 years in the famous Nalanda
university. During this time he enlarged his knowledge of
Buddhism, literature, grammar loglc,medlclne,crafts and
theVedas.
n
IBN BATUTA(1304-1368A.D)
Ibn Batuta from Moroooo was the first Muslim traveller to India. He
came to India thn^ugh the South west Canal during the reign of Tughlaq.
Whlle he was In India ha served as a judge in
Delhi for seven years. For nearly 30 years he
travelled far and wide on horseback, on camels,
by boats and by land. During his lifstime he
visited around 44 countries.
He obsen/ed the political and social systems
of the Delhi Sultanate keenly and wrote about
them in his book. He has also described the
geography, natural resources, and the lifestyle of
the people of the countries that he visited. He travelled widely to observe the
social and political state of different areas. His travels have contributed
significantly to geography.
PEOPLE WHO CAME BYSEA ROUTES
Exploration by sea was both adventorous and infonmative. Many of the
explorers of difterent countries travelled by sea to find routes to India and to
go around the world. This led to the discovery of some new lands as well as
the knowledge of the earth being round.
We shall now stody about the voyages and routes of some prominent
explorers.
MARCO POLO (1254- 1324 A.D)
Marco Polo was bom in Venice, in
Itoly. He travelled to China with his father in
his childhood. First they reached the Persian
Gulf. Then they travelled by land crossing
the Gobi Desert in West Asia to reach
Hungwai, the capital of King Kublai Khan.
Ha had a good knowladga of the lifiastyle, trade, natural features and
the formation of cities of the places that he visited. He served as Governor of
a temtory in Kublai Khan's Kingdom. He was also an ambassador of tiiat
place. He gave Kublai iChan some tips about Western Warfare. This helped
Kublai Khan to achieve victory.
Marco Polo collected many interesting articles during his 16 years in
China. He exhibited his precious ooliections of Chinese ciotheSp jeweISp
copper articies and diamonds on his return. He spoke witti great admiration
of the specialties of Eastern countries. He has recorded his experiences in
his book 'Millione - ir.
BARTHOLOMEW DIAZ {1 450 - 1 500 A.D)
Bartholomew Diaz was a Portuguese
sailor. He was a knight at the court of King
John II of Portugal. In 1487 A.D. he set out on
a voyage with tiiree ships. When he reached
the tip of Afnca, there was a heavy stonn. Due
to this he called this place "Cape of Storms"
and returned to his homeland. Later, King
John II changed this name to 'Cape of Good
Hope" because it represented the opening of
a route to the east.
Bartholomew Diaz was the first
European to sail to the Cape of Good Hope
on the soutiiem tip of Africa. The discovery of Uie passage around Africa
was significant, because , for the first time, Europeans could trade directly
wiUi India and the oUier parts of Asia.
Using his experience with explorative travel, Diaz helped in the
construction of the ships used by V^sco-da-Gama to circumnavigate the
Cape and continue the route to India.
■^
M
MAGELLAN (1 480 - 1 521 A.D.)
The credit of going round the world by the
sea route lor the first time goes to the Portuguese
sailor Magellan. Accompanied by 270 sailors he
set out westwards on his voyage Itom Spain. IHe
reached the tip of South America through the
Atlantic Ocean. IHe called this place Magellan
Strait, i-ster, he sailed via the Pacific Ocean. As it
was a calm and peaceful ocean he gave it the
name of Pacific Ocean. (Pacific means
peaceful).
At the end of his voyage he reached the
island of Philippines. He died on his way back. Some of his companions
retumed to Spain.
Magellan went round the world in 3 years. This voyage proved that the
earth was round. IHe made a map of his voyage with details of directions
in it. Magellan was the first to bring out the importance of a map. IHis
voyage proved to be a guide to later travellers and traders.
' North M^
America^J^
spmki IMS Europe
270 Him
Australia
Cape of Good IHope
I tha Struts of Mmdwi
Magellan's Circumnavigation of the world 1519-1522
CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS (1451 -1506A.D)
Columbus was a European sailor. He was inspired to undertake a sea
voyage after reading the book of Maroo Polo, in
those days people went only by land routes for
trade between Europe and Asia.
IHIs aim was to reach India through the
western route. In 1492, under the patronage of the
Spanish king he sailed in the ship called Santa
Maria from Spain.
After 50 days of sea travel he reached the
islands of West Indies situated in the eastern
seaside of North America.
He thought he had reached India. IHe also thought the natives there
were Red Indians, in 1520 A.D, another salior called Americo Vespucci
discovered that the land that Columbus had reached was not India but a
new land, itwas later called America after him.
Austraiia
Cfiristopher Columbus' First Journey 1492
VASCO-DA^GAM A (1 460 - 1 524 A.D)
N^scxi-da-Gama was a Portuguese
sailor. He began his voyage from the port of
Lisbon in Portugal and reached the Cape of
Good Hope In Africa. He crossed the Indian
Ocean with the help of an Indian merchant
Following this ha travelled via the Indian
Ocean and reached Calicut on the west
coast of India on May 2D, 1498.
He was the first person to discover
a eea route Irom Europe to India. This
helped sea trade from India io other lands. It
also laid a foundatjon for the establishment
of European colonies.
South
Amefica
Capa of Good Hope
'.'y
\^sco-da-Gama's route map 1497-1498
^
Uses of Travel
1 . Travel can be through many ways namely land, water and air. This
was established through the experiences of various explorers.
2. Modes of transport increased and improved due to these travels.
3. Through sea voyages we have obtained maps, knowledge about the
weather, and the Mariner's compass.
4. We have learnt about the culture and lifestyles of different lands.
5. Travel has helped to establish friendship between different countries.
6. People travel to various countries to enlarge their knowledge and
improve their education.
Do you know?
Ptolemy was the first person to draw a map
J
CHARLES DARWIN
He sailed in a ship called Beagle around the
world. He studied the different species in the world
and wrote a book on them. He said that man had
originated from the Ape in his book "Origin of
Species".
Do you know?
Ptolemy's map was the model followed by later
cartographers.
Interesting Facts
it The distance in the sea is measured in "nautical miles".
* The speed of a ship is measured in 'knots'.
* "Victoria" was the name of the ship that sailed around the world.
EXERCISES
Complete the following:-
Going from one place to another_
The book of Hieun Tsang
Vasco-da-Gama landed here in lndia_
Book of Megasthenes
Ancient University in lndia_
II. Pick out the right answer.
1. The traveller whovisited India during the rule ofChandragupta II was:
a) Fa-Hien b) Hieun Tsang c) Marco Polo
2. The sailor from Venice was:
a) IVIagellan b) Marco Polo c) Viramamunivar
3. Megasthenes visited Madurai during the rule of
a)Cheras b)Pallavas c)Pandyas
ML Answer briefly
1 . State two purposes of travel
2. What did Hieun Tsang learn in India?
3. Write two sentences on Megasthenes.
4. Write two sentences on Bartholomew Diaz.
Project
I. Find out about 2 more travellers of the world who have contributed to
the development of knowledge.
II. Write about your locality as though you are a traveller who is seeing
it for the first time.
I. On the given map, mark the following using
the colours suggested.
a) Route ofVasco-da-Gama in green.
b) Route of Columbus in black.
c) RouteofMagellaninred.
d) Colourthe seas blue.
B. Who took the longest route?
II. Complete the following mind map:
/i'o know aboui thek
\ past and present '
Uses of Travel
* t^ i>
,^ij-^ p
OUR WORL
"Mother Earth providea enough to eattefy every man's need, but
not every man's greed". M.K.Gmdhl.
Our Earth is a unique planet in the solar system, n is the fifth laigest
planet in the solar system and the third planet -fhDm the sun. Since, our
planet is at a convenient distance from the sun, it is neither very hot like
Mercury nor very cold like Pluto. It is the only planet in the solar system
which supports a variety of I rle.
WHY IS LIFE POSSIBLE ON THE EARTH?
Life is possible on the Earth because of the following reasons:
1. Our Earth has an atmosphere which is composed of many gases which
are necessary for life.
2. Water which is essential for life is available on the Earth in abundance.
Wartar Is found In oceans, rtvers, lakes and also underthe ground.
HOWVyASTTIE EARTH BORN?
Befbre the solarsystem was formed^ matter was floating In a cloud of
dust and gas. Part of the doud contracted to form the Sun. The rest of the
doud substance ccrrtracted more to fbnn laige clumps of particles of Ice
andnx^k.
Those partldesgrBdually fused tDgettiertDlbrTTi planets such as the Earth.
AcoQfdir)g to sdenliste planet Earth v^s fbrmed around 4,600 milEon yeais ago.
The Sun and otherplanelB vvere also fbrmedarixjndthesarnetlmeL
Do you know? | ]
Our planet is about 8,000 miles (12,800 kllometras] in diameter and^
25,000 miles (40,000 kilometres) in drcumrfersnca.
FOUR REALMS OF THE EARTH
The life zone on the Earth's aurtace ia Icnown ae Bioephere. Biosphere
is dependent on Lrthosphera, IHydrosphere and Atmosphere. These are
known as Realms of the Earth.
UTHOSPHERE
The entire surface of the Earth consisting of Its cmst, which Is made up
Off $olid tod& i$ known a$ Lithosphere. Continents and Landtbmi$
constitute the Uthosphere.
HYDROSPHERE
The major water bodies iike ooeans, seas, ialces, ponds etc constitute
hydrosphere. 'IHydro' ralefs to water.
ATMOSPHERE
The blanlcet of air sunounding the Earths suiface is known as
atmosphere.
BiOSPHERE
The narrow contact zone where
Lithosphere, HydnDSphere and Atmosphere
come into contact Is called Biosphere. The
plants, animals and human beings are a part
of Bkssphere.
^
STRUCTURE OF THE EARTH
The Earth consl5t& of three layers. They are
1. Crust
2. Mantle
3. Core (Inner Core, OutBT Cora)
1. CRUST
It is the outermost layer oTthe Eartti.
Continenis and oceans lie in this layer.
It is made up of rocks.
It contains everything that is essential lor life.
2. MANTLE
This layeris below the cmsL
Its upper part Is made of solid rock^ whereas the lower part oonsiste of
molten recks.
It is Irom here the magma (mottsn rack) comes out when a volcano
erupts.
It Gontains a lot of Iran and magnesium.
3. CORE
It fbnns the centre of the Earth.
Outer core contains Iran and nickel in a molten state. Some sulphur is
also present.
The Inner core Is a solM ball almost entirely made up of Iron.
(Do you know? >!
Aryabhatia, one of the great astronomers of andent India was the
first to say that the Earth is round and It rotates around its axis. At the
young age of 23 he wrote a book on astronomy called Aryabhatlya.
UUIDFORMS AND WATER BODIES OF THE EARTH
71% of the earth's surface is covered by water and 29% by land.
The large masses of land are called continents. The large water bodies
are called oceans.
THERE ARE SEVEN CONTINENTS
o Asia ^^^^~
G Africa
o Nortti America
o SoiithAnerica
o Europe
Antarctica
o Aufitralla
f Do you knovir?
o Asia Is the largest continent
>
^ Africa Is the second largest continent
Australia is the smallest continent
Antarctica is an icy corrtinent
L
These continents are also called landfbmris of ttie first order. Due to
the extreme cold tamperatuie, no lifa exists in Antarctica. Therelbre
Antarctica is called the Dead continent
All the above continents have within them dHferant kinds of
landfbnns. These arB landfbnns of the second order. They are :-
MOUNTAINS HILLS
Masses of land higher Areas of high places of
than the sunounding arBas. land but not as high as mountains.
(og)
1. TTie liimalayas
2. Andes
3. TTie Alps
4. Rocky Mountains
5. Kilimanjaro
Asia
South America
Europe
North America
Africa
©^
PLATEAUS
Level areas of elevated land.
(eg)
1. Tibetan Plateau
2. Deccan Plateau
3. Colorado Plateau
EaatAaia
Asia (India)
North America
PLAINS
Areas of land having very
little difference between the
higtiest and lowest points.
(eg) 1. Indo - Gangetjc Hains _
2. Liyanas _
3. Lombardy Plains
VALLEYS
Asia (India)
South America
Europe
Nanow pieces of land between two mountains.
(eg) 1-
Nile Wiley
^^
Africa
2.
Grand Canyon
,
NorthAmerica
3.
Indus Valley
Asia
<^
1
PENINSULA
Land surrounded by water on thnae sides
and land on one side.
The Indian sub-oontlnenrt Is called a
Peninsula since rt is suntiunded by the Bay of
Bengal in the east, the Arabian Sea in the west
and the Indian Ocean in the south. On the
northern side alone It is a stretch ofland.
ISLANDS
Pieces of land surrounded by water on all sides.
.J^^^^M
1*"
w
^B Andaman NIoobar Islands
(og) SrtLanka, Andaman NIoobar Islands, Lakshadweep.
DESERTS
Large stretches of and
land where no
vegetation except
cactus and date
palms is found.
(eg)
Thar
India
Sahara
Africa
Arizona
North America
^^■"
The large water bodies are called oceans and seas. There are four large
oceans on the Earth. They are
The PacHic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean
The Indian Ocean
The Arctic Ocean
Doyouknowr?
The Pacffic Ocean is the largest ocean which covers more than
one-third of the Earth's surface.
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest ocean.
Only the Indian Ocean has been named afler a ooun
Besides these, there are the Antarctic sea, the MedHenranean
sea, Caspian sea and Black sea which are also large water t»dies.
OTHER WATER BODIES ARE:
WSaterfalls _ Large volumes of water come gushing dcwn from a
heig ht to areas tielow.
Rivers _ Huge areas where water flows along the surface of the
land.
Streams _ Small areas of watsr.
Lakes _ Areas of water surrounded by land on all sides.
INDIA AND rrS LAND FORMS
The landfbnn of our country Is divided Into tlve regions tiased on the height
and structure of the land. They are:
1 . The Northern Himalayas
2. The Gangetic Plains
3. The Thar Desert
4. The Southern Penirwuiar Hateau -(Deccan Plateau)
5. The Eastern and Western Ghats.
The Southern part of India is known as Peninsular India.
Examples of Islands are the Andaman and NIoobar Islands and
Lakshadweep.
Now you have an Idea of our planet Earth and the dIfliBfent land and water
Ibnnsonlt.
THE OCEAN BED/ THE SEA BED
The Ocean bed Is not level ground. Even here we can see mountains,
I hill range$, and mounds as on land. The earthquakes and volcanic
emptlons under the ocean bed are the reasons for this. As these happen
under the ocearVisea bed, thevare not visible to us.
Can you see mouhtaihs on the sea bed? If yes, colour Biem suitably.
ONE LAND MASS
During the fomnation oTthe EaiHi tl^re was a large larid mass called
pangaaa. This land mass moved slowly and in the oourse of thousands of
years continental plates were fbnued.
The oontinenlal plates kept moving. Gradually portions separated to
Ibmri some continents. It Is believed that these land forms are still moving.
Tlie Seven Continents fbrmed on the Continental Pkrtes are
1. Asia ^^
'North America, South America, Asia,^
Europe ar>d Africa are connected to
each other. Australia is surrounded on
all four sides by water. Antandlca Is
\totslly covered by ice. /
2. AlHca
3. NorlhAmerica
4. SouthAmerlca
SL Europe
Bl Australia
7. Antarcfaca
SAVE OUR PLANET
The earth Is our real wefilth. Let us not do anything to destroy It. It
provides all the natural resources like water, land, climate etc. for the
maintenance of lite. In the process of
^^||^^ tedinological and industrial developfnent,
human beings have started destroying the
natural resources. This has resulted in
dangerous effects like the Increase of the
hole in the Ozone Layer, global wanning,
rise In the average temperatura, melting of
glaciers, volcanic enjptionSp earthquakes
and pollution.
The responsibility of saving our earth
lies in the hands of human beings. We must
take steps to reduce pollution so that the
future generations will live peacefully.
Some lnt»r»sting Facts
O The point at whKh the sky and the Earth appear to meet is called the
horizon.
O The place where the land and sea meet Is called the coast
Q Atmosphere preteds the earth Irom meteorites, wh Ich are small roclcs
moving al»ut in space.
O A large mass of ice formed by snow, a mountain that moves very
slowly down a valley is called a glacier.
O Asia is the most populous continent of the world. Australia is known as
the land of Golden Fleece, Australia is aleo an Island.
O Ports arKl harlMurs have been developed along the Atlantlccoast. The
world's busiest trade routes cross the Atlantic ocean.
^
EXERCISES
I. Fill in the blanks
1. TTie large mafisdfiofland are called
2. Is the bigge&t continent.
3. Is named after a country.
4. refers to water.
5. Is the outomnoat layer of the Earth.
IL AnewBT In a sentence ortwD
1. Name the continents on the Earth.
2. What is an ocean?
3. Name the five landfomns of India .
4. Which is the largest ocean that has been named after a country?
5. What are lakes?
III. Define the following
1. Mounteln
2. Plain
3. Peninsula
4. W^ter Falls
5. Islands
IV. Answer briefly
1. Four realms or layers of the Earth.
2. The structure of the Earth.
3. Why is life possible on the Earth?
4. The Ocean bed.
V. Activity
On a Map of the WDfId marie the fburlarge oceans on the Earth.
€»^
VI. Guess who I am
1. I am a oontlnenL I am al&o an Island. People call me the land of
Golden Fleece. Who am I?
2. I am the most populous continenrt India is a part of me.
Who am I? .
3. I am a big ocean. I cover one4hlnJ of the earth's surface. Who am I?
VII. Project
1 . Prepare a landscape on a piece of cardboard. Show a hill, a stream,
land, trees and a house. Make models using day, caidboaidj colours
etc.
2. On a map of the world using the colours suggested mark the
Ibllowing.
Oceans
Asia
Africa
South Africa
North America
South America
Australia
^
REPRESENTATIONS
You have learnt about the Earth in the previous lesson. You must be
interested in knowing how the earth looks. In order to help us to know
clearly about the earth, its shape and what covers its surface, there is an
instrument called the Globe.
A GLOBE
A globe is a small model of the Earth
which gives us an accurate picture of the Earth's
surface for general reference. It shows us the
oceans, seas and continents of the Earth on a
small scale.
Look at a globe. It is a spherical ball that
spins round a rod with two ends. The earth
rotates on an imaginary line called Axis. The
northern most point on the axis is called the
North Pole and the Southern most point is called the South Pole.
MAP
Another representation of the Earth is a Map.
The map is a drawing of the whole or a part of the earth's surface on a
flat sheet. Maps give more specific and detailed information as compared
to a globe. Maps depict signs, directions and locations of regions,
countries, oceans etc.
A book of maps is called an Atlas. (Picture - world map showing the
continents, oceans, equator etc.,)
^&^
DIFFERENT TYPES OF MAPS
I. Relief Maps _ Showthe physical features of the world.
ii. Political Maps _ Show Countries, States, Districts, Capitals etc.
iii. ClimateMaps _ Showthedifferenttypesofclimateintheworld.
iv. Minerals _ Show the minerals and the places they are found in
V. Transport Maps _ Showthe location of places and the routes to them,
vi . Agriculture _ Show the different crops and the regions they grow in.
Something Interesting
Every map has a key which indicates what the colour and
symbols used in the map stand for.
Eg. : 1 ) Green stands for low land, 2) Blue stands for oceans.
Similarly a dark dot indicates a city and a boundary can be shown by
dark lines.
THE IMPORTANCE OF MAPS
Maps are useful for geographers as well as historians. They help us
to understand the physical features and different aspects of any place.
They are essential for sailors and the armed forces to locate or identify
places. Tourists use maps to follow directions.
i
Colours
Places
■
Oceans, Seas, Rivers, Lakes
■
Plains
Plateaus
■
Mountains, mountain ranges, hills
DIRECTIONS
We need to know directions
to understand the locations on the
maps. North, South, East and West
are the basic four directions.
SYMBOLS
Man has created symbols to depict places on the map.
Eg.
River
— . — . — . — International Boundary line
State boundary line
Capital
Rivers have been shown on the
map of India. Find out the use of other
symbols from the atlas.
Indian Ocean
Round
Reflects the shape of the earth.
Shows the entire features.
Flat
Reflects the surface
The map shows either the whole
or in parts.
We can see one part at a time
when we rotate the globe.
We can see the entire world in a
spread out manner.
Difficult to carry it around
Can be easily carried to
different places.
IVIinute details cannot be seen
All the details can be presented.
THE ATLAS
A book of maps is called an Atlas. We can find out
about the different land forms and continents on the Earth.
At the end of the book information is given in alphabetical
order. This helps us in identifying things from the maps.
Using the atlas is necessary while learning about the i
different countries, landforms, resources, road and
waterways. Maps help us to understand the different land
and waterforms in the world.
LATITUDES
In the map, some imaginary lines are drawn horizontally and
vertically. The horizontal lines are called latitudes and the vertical lines are
called longitudes.
Latitudes are imaginary circles running from east to west. One such
imaginary line of latitude is the Equator, The Equator divides the earth into
two equal halves known as hemispheres. The northern part of the earth
above the equator is known as the Northern Hemisphere. The southern part
of the earth below the equator is known as the Southern Hemisphere.
Latitudes are measured with the unit "degree" (°). Latitudes are also called
parallels.
90'N North Pole
N
23y2°N Tropic of Cancer
0° Equator
23y2°s Tropic of Capricorn
66y2°S
90°S South Pole
tMPORTANT LATITUDES OF THE EARTH
1. The Arctic circle 66y2°N.
The Tropic of Cancer 23 72° N.
Equator 0°
The Tropic of Capricorn 23!4°S.
The Antarctic Circle at 66y2°S.
2.
3.
4.
5.
LONGITUDES
Besides latitudes, there are also circular lines running through the
North Pole and the South Pole. These lines are called Longitudes or
Meridians. The central longitude that divides the earth into the Eastern
Hemisphere and the Western Hemisphere is known as the Prime Meridian.
The prime meridian runs through the Royal Observatory at Greenwich in
London in the United Kingdom. It is also known as the ] Greenwich Meridlin"
Greenwich Meridian which helps us in calculating
the time.
The countries to the east of the Prime
Meridian will face the sun first. Gradually, as the
earth moves, the countries in the Western
Hemisphere will face the sun. That is why the
countries like Japan face the sun first and
America faces the sun last.
The time at Greenwich is observed as the mean time and hence it is
called the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Local time of a particular country
can be calculated based on the GMT.
^y
%.
Do you know ?
Latitudes and Longitudes heip us to define tiie location of any
piace in ttie worid. Latitudes and Longitudes intersect eacti
ottier at rigtit angies forming a Grid. Tliis network is tieipfui in
locating tfje different places on tiie map (or) ttie globe.
India is located to tiie east of tiie Prime IVIeridian and it is the
seventii largest country in tiie world.
=^
^
66y2°N
Activity
Take a ball and pierce a knitting needle through it like the axis. Wind
a wool yarn touching North and South Pole. You will create longitudes.
DIFFERENT ZONES OF THE EARTH
The Earth is like a ball tilted on
an axis. Therefore when the earth
goes round the sun it is found that
direct rays of the sun fall on the
Equator. At this time, the distance of
the Sun is closest to the Earth. Away
from the Equator on the other latitudes
the rays of the sun are slanting. Thus
we have different zones of the Earth.
1) The Torrid zone (or) the Tropical zone is the hottest part of the earth.
2) The Temperate zone lies above the Torrid zone. It receives slanting
rays, so it is cooler.
3) The Frigid zone lies around the poles. They receive very little
slanting rays for half of the year and the other half of the year receive
66y2°S
no light at all. This is a very cold zone.
Do you know ?
Direct rays hit a small area making it very hot Slanting rays
hit a larger area so the heat is less.
WEATHER AND CLIMATE
There is constant change in the atmosphere that surrounds the Earth.
The changes in a particular area make the weather of a place. In other
words weather is the condition of the atmosphere at a particular place and
time. It may change from day to day, time to time and place to place.
Weather affects us in many ways. For eg. we choose our clothes according
to the weather. Weather also affects our daily activities.
Climate is the average weather condition of a place over a long period
of time. Climate influences things like our clothing, housing, transportation
and the food we eat. The factors that influence climate are latitudes, altitude,
ocean currents, wind pattern etc. The presence of high mountains, oceans
and deserts in an area also affects the climate in and around that area.
Do yoii know ?
People who study the climate are called climatologists.
People who forecast weather are called meteorologists.
MOTIONS OF THE EARTH
Rotation and Revolution are the two motions of the earth.
ROTATION OF THE EARTH
It means the spinning movement of the earth on its own axis. It
completes one rotation in 24 hours. This is called a solar day. Rotation
causes day and night.
REVOLUTION OF THE EARTH
Revolution is the movement of the Earth around the sun on an elliptical
orbit. The earth completes one round in 365 and % days. It is because of
this revolution of the Earth that we have changing seasons.
Some Interesting facts
♦ Wind is caused by uneven iieating of the air around the Earth.
# Humidity is the presence of moisture in the air. Wind blowing over the
sea collects moisture and makes the climate in the coastal areas very
humid. Humidity makes us sweat a great deal.
% The farther we are from the Equator, the colder the climate.
^ The Equator divides the Earth into two equal parts. Hence it is called
the great circle, while all other latitudes are called small circles.
EXERCISES
I. Fill in the blanks
1. A book of maps is called .
2. divides the earth into two equal halves known as
hemispheres.
3. maps show the physical features of the world.
4. The Earth rotates on an imaginary line called .
5. The zone lies around the poles.
II. Answer in a sentence or two
1. What is a globe?
2. What is the Rotation of the Earth?
3. Whoisaclimatologist?
4. Why is the Frigid zone very cold?
5. What are the two motions of the Earth?
III. Define the following
1. Weather and Climate
2. Revolution of the Earth.
IV. Answer briefly
1 . Difference between a globe and a map.
2. Latitudes and Longitudes.
V. Guess who I am
1. I am the central longitude that divides the earth into the Eastern
and Western Hemispheres. What am I known as ?
2. I am a colour. I represent the oceans on maps. Who am I?
VI . Activity
Take a ball. Stick a world map around it. Mark the following on it:
Qj Northern Hemisphere
^ Southern Hemisphere
O 2 Latitudes
^ 2 Longitudes
VII. Project
1. Take a ball. Use some pieces of thread. Stick the thread around it
showing:
a) Equator
b) Tropic of Cancer
c) Tropic of Capricorn
2. Find out why we have a leap year.
Activity: Something Interesting
Take a torch. Hold it in one hand and turn the globe with the other
hand. Can you see the longitudes moving towards the sun and then further
away? This is how we determine time.
Land provides soil for agriculture and forests. Fertile soil and uniform
plains support thick human settlement.
In this lesson, we are going to learn about different types of soil and forests
and how they are useful for people and the development our country.
WHAT IS SOIL?
Soil is a thin surface layer of the earth mixed with minerals and
vegetative materials. Agricultural activities and growth of plants and trees
depend on the fertility of soil.
HOW WAS SOIL FORMED?
Formation of soil is a very long process. Due to the heat of the sun the
force of winds and rains, big rocks broke into tiny particles which came
together to form soil. The growth of vegetation depends on the type of soil.
Factors Causing Soil Formation
iving creatures
MAJOR TYPES OF SOIL
Look at the soil map of India, you can see different colours in different
areas which indicates that India has various types of soil.
Alluvial soil, Black soil, Red soil, Laterite soil, Forest and hilly soil and
Desert soil are the important types of soil found in India.
Do you know?
It takes 1000 years for a centimetre of soil to be formed.
India - Soil Resources
Arabian Sea
Bay of Bengal
^ Alluvial Soil
^RfldSoll
1^ Black Soil
Laterlia/HlllySolt
DedertSoll
Srinnka
I
Indian Ocean
1:11
^B^
ALLUVIALSOIL
Alluvial Soil can mostly be tbund in northern parte of
India and East Coastal Plains . The soil Is very
fertile and soft in nature. This soil is puslied by the
waters of rivers and settles in plains. Rice, Wheat,
Sugarcane and Pulses grow well in this soil.
Do you know 7
Kmr basins grawrtcB In sbundancB .So Mesepfaoes sn known ss
Atee Bawim oflndtB,
BLACK SOIL
Ttiis soil is also known as Black Cotton soil
becausecottongrowsweliinttilssoll. Black soil
Is fbnned in the Deccan Plateau because of
volcanic activities which happened ttwusands
of years ago.
Do you know 7
In yrillsgoSf chltdren play wlOi Ihls soil and maka a numbar of toys
bacauaeltlamttcky In natura andratalna molatufB (wait condition) for
atongHma,
Cotton and sugarcane giowYf^l In Ae triacksoll.
RED SOIL
TTie reddish odour in the soil is due
to the presence of iron oxkJes that are
mostly found In the Eastern skje of India.
Most parts of Tamil Nadu, Andhra
Pradesh, Kamataka,East R^^asthan and
Orissa have red soli.
,chiilies,tDbaocOj vegetables and fruits are
Groundnute, ragi^pui
cultivated in the red soil.
LATERITESOIL
Latertte soil Is found mainly In plateaus and ^
mountain slopes of India in Assam pNilg iris and
Chota Nagpur. Most of Its nrilnerols are crashed
away by rain water. Tharefiarei this «oil needs
tertJIIzars and water for agrfcultuna.
Tea, rubber and coffee plantetions are fbund
hare. Cashawnutep pappar, doves and cardamom are also grown hare.
FOREST AND HILLYSOIL
The Himalayas, Wtetom and Eastem Ghats of
South India have forest and mountein soil. This
Mil Is very rich In humus and organic matters
because of ttie abundance of trees fbund in this
regbn. Humus refers to the dead and decayed
parte of animate and ptente.
Tea, Coffee, libber and spices are the major ptentetion crops giown here.
DESERT SOIL
The Tliar Desert is locatsd in the western side
of Re^aathan .The desert h&s Infertile, dry soli
called desert soil. The desert soil in
Rajasttian,par1« of Gu|arat and Punjab Is not
suitable for agricultural adtvities-Only date
palms and cadus can belbund here.
IMPORTANCE OF SOIL RESOURCES
Soli Is the most Important natural resource for agriculture and fbrest
wealth.
Food cfops like wheat, rice, millete and cash crope like sugarcane,
cotton. Tea, Coffee and Rubber need soil for growth. They directly and
indirectly help the growth of our National Income and provide emplpynient
or work ter nearly 75% of the people of I ndia .
Fomts depend mainly on soil wsalthp FoibsIs provide us with many
goods and supportwild animals and attract thousands of tourists.
TheiBlbfBWB should take careof oursoil rBsources.
WHAT IS HAPPENING TO SOIL RESOURCES NOW?
Day by day the population Is Increasing rapidly. Sdl resouroas are
improperty uaed by man .
Man has dastrayad tha ma|or
parts of fbroSitslbroonslnjclion of foads,
relhvays, dams, Industrtas and human
settlemenL Cutting down trees is called
DafbrestatJon. As a result tha upper
layer of soil is eroded, taken away by flood, therefore the fertility of the soil is
lost. Removal of top soil Is called Soil Erosion.
To get more food production, ctiemical fertilizere are used which
IncioasQtha chgnnlcals In soils, tharefbrep undoifiround water Is polluted In
most parts of India.
: You taste your wdl water and ask your parents how the taste of
the waterwas tan orfifteenyaare ago. They will axplaintha reasons.
How do wa conserva or protect our soil rasourcos?
Here are some important mettiods:
1. Planting traaa
f Planting a laige number of trees in ttie vacant
land In a line and around our housas. This acHvtty Is
called Afforestation . Roots of the trees will prevent soil
aroslon.
2. Conalructing small dams / chock dams
Across rivere and in the fenri lands, making
small mounds, so that rein walaroan ba stopped and
soil en»ion can be controlled.
3. Contour ploughing
Ploughing farm lands in Cicular
Method to stop the flow of water.
4. Terrace farming
To prevent soil erosion.
Next time you go for a picnic, look around and note the colour of soil
and crops cultivated.
Interesting Facts
O Soil is made of 45% rock particles, 25% water, 25% air and 5%
leaves.
O India is the largest producer of pulses in the world, both in quantity
and variety.
O Regar is the name of black soil in India.
Q 20% of the soil of India has been affected by erosion.
O Hungarian Paprica is the type of chilli grown in abundance in India.
^ O 24% of the soil of India is alluvial soil.
O The Green Revolution has led to many improvements in agricultural
methods and irrigation.
Exercises
I. Fill in the blanks
1 . is necessary for the growth of vegetation.
2. Soil is formed due to the heat of the , the force of
and
3. Alluvial soil is
4.
and
soil retains moisture.
5. Grow more trees to prevent soil_
I
II Choose the correct answer
1. Cotton grows well in
soil.
2.
(Black soil, Desert soil, Red soil)
is very rich in humus and organic matters.
(Laterite soil , Alluvial soil, Hilly soil)
3. Planting a large number of trees in vacant land is called_
(Deforestation, Afforestation, contourfarming)
4. Rajasthan desert has infertile,dry soil called
(Desert soil. Black soil. Alluvial soil)
5. Rice and wheat grow well in soil.
a) Rajasthan
b) Karnataka
c) Assam
d) Punjab
e) Deccan plateau
(Black, Laterite, Alluvial)
III Match the following
1.Tea
2. Cotton
3. Wheat
4. Groundnut _
5. Date palms _
IV. Answer briefly
1 . Define soil and name the different types of soil.
2. How is soil useful to us?
3. Explain the term Deforestation.
V. Answer in a paragraph
1 . Why is there need to conserve our soil resources? Explain the
methods of soil conservation.
VI. Activity
1 .When you go to different places collect samples of soil and write down
your observations.
2. Discuss with your friends about the soil found in your area and the
plants and trees that grow there.
Project
Display the samples of soil you have collected in packets on a poster with
a few details on them.
NATURAL VEGETATION
Just as soil is important for agriculture and human settlement,
natural vegetation is important for rainfall and wild life.
Natural vegetation in India is not uniform. Climate, soil type, amount of
rainfall and the competition with other organisms, Influence the growth of
plants in distinctive forms.
MAJOR TYPES OF FORESTS
Indian forests are broadly classified into five types. They are
1 . Tropical Evergreen Forests
2. Tropical Deciduous Forests (Monsoon forests)
3. Mangrove Forests
4. Thorn Forests
5. Himalayan Forests
TROPICAL EVERGREEN FORESTS
These forests are found in the areas of the Western Ghats, the
eastern States of Himalayas and Andaman
and Nicobar Islands which receive more
than 200 cm rainfall.
Ebony, Mahogany, Bamboo, Rubber,
Rose Wood and Sandalwood are the
important trees grown here.
Tiger, Rhinoceros, Bears, Leopards,
Pythons and Swamp deer are found here.
North-
TROPICAL DECIDUOUS FORESTS (MONSOON FORESTS)
Peninsular India and the Northern
parts of India are covered by monsoon
forests. These areas receive 100 cm
rainfall.
Teak, Sandalwood, Sal, Deodar,
Bamboo and Ebony are some of the
Important trees grown here. These trees
shed / drop their leaves during summer
because of less rainfall. These forests are called deciduous forests.
These types of wood are used for making furniture.
Do you know?
Veiy lltttB wild life can be found here as the forests are not dense
MANGROVE FORESTS
Mangrove forests are seen in the Indian coastal line, in the Ganga
delta and Brahmaputra region, in some backwater areas and salt marshes.
The roots of the trees of most forests are found usually under the
ground. But salt water trees have aerial roots which are above the water in
order to survive in the salt water. These
prevent soil erosion and prevent
fertile soil from being washed away
into the ocean.
Vedaranyam and Pichavaram
areas In TamllNadu have mangrove
f jjl forests.
Pichavaram forests protected many
people from Tsunami waves in 2004.
Do you know?
Deltas are tormed when sand mounds are formed by wind and waves.
THORN FORESTS
Thorn forests are found in the areas
which receive less than 50 cm rainfall.
Parts of Deccan PlateaUi South Punjab
and Thar Desert have thorny trees like acacia, babul
and paimyra.
HIMALAYAN FORESTS
The Himalayan Forest types are varied
according to the height of the slopes.
The leaves of the trees found here are
conicai in shape so we caii these coniferous
forests.
The lower Himalayas have
evergreen forests. The Middle
Himalayas have temperate forest
trees like Pine, Birch, Cedar,
Oak, Chestnut, Walnut and
Apple.
You can see some of these
trees in Ooty, Upper Nilgiris and
Kodi Hills.
Activity
The next time you visit these areas, observe them and get more
information from your teachers.
Compare the trees of other forests with respect to size, shape and
structure of the leaves etc.
FOREST COVER OF INDIA
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INDIAN OCEAN
Think: How can we increase the forest cover in India?
THE USES OF FORESTS
* Forests provide oxygen for living tl^iings.
* Forests provide timber / wood for various types of construction work
from house to ship building.
* Forests give us firewood, fruits, nuts and medicinal leaves (herbs).
* Forests have their own value; forests bring rainfall, control soil erosion
and purify the air by providing Oxygen and Nitrogen cycles.
* Forests give revenue to the Government and employment
opportunities to people
* Forests provide shelter for wild animals like Lion, Tiger, Elephant,
Bison, Deer and hundredsof birds and wild creatures.
* The dry leaves combine with the soil and change into manure thus
adding fer1:ility to the soil.
* Forests are used to produce paper, gum, resin, olive oil and natural
dyes.
But children
Nowadays the benefits have declined considerably... Do
you know why?
This is because of all our activities. The growing population has
reduced the forests to less than 17 % of our country's total area.
Remember, a country should have more than 33% of area under forest
cover to get the maximum benefits from forests and for remarkable
economic development.
Man has cleared the forests for human settlements, industrial
purposes, construction of roads, railways and dams. Clearing of
forests is called deforestation.
Other than this, valuable trees are illegally cut down and animals
are hunted by poachers.
In this way we have lost a lot of our forest wealth.
Results of that....
# We receive unseasonal, irregular rainfall.
* The earth's temperature is gradually increasing "Man cannot tolerate
the Earth's tenriperature after 300 years" say US Climate Agencies
2010.
* We have lost our rare variety of plants and animals which are our
country's rich heritage.
♦ Our National animal Tiger is facing the danger of extinction.
Do you know?
Over half the world's wild tigers /iVe in India^ Nepal and Bangladesh,
♦ To protect some endangered animals there are some sanctuaries.
# Gir forest in Gujarat for lions.
# Mudumalai forest in TamilNadu for elephants.
# Kaziranga in Assam for the rhinoceros.
"Grow more trees Save the Earth"
CHIPKO Movement
CHIPKO movement for the protection of trees began in Chamoli a place
in Uttarakhand .The people here are very keen that trees should not be cut.
If all Indians have a similar aim the future generations will benefit.
F
Song of a tree
I am a tree, a tree,
Ausefiil thing am I ;
I give you oxygen free
And the air I purify.
My leaves, flowers and fruits
Give shade, give food, as you can see
The soil is held tight by my roots
Animals and birds find homes in me.
I give wood, I bring rain
I protect weather naturally;
Please don't give me pain!
Don't cut me ! Don't cut me !
Sudha Vyas
Interesting Facts
* 1 9.39% of the total area of India is covered by forests.
* 90% of the land of Andaman and Nicobar Islands is covered by forests.
* Assam is the largest producer of Tea in the world.
* Uttar Pradesh is the largest producer of Sugarcane in India.
* The major hill stations of India namely Nainital, Missourie, Almoda and
Ranikhet are in Uttar Pradesh.
* Kodaikanal and Ooty are the summer hill resorts of Tamil Nadu.
* The Indian state of Kerala accounts for 90% of the rubber production in
the country.
* Sikkim exports medicinal herbs.
* Punjab stands first in the cultivation of wheat.
* Manipur has a valley filled with flowers.
* Meghalaya is the only state with a museum of butterflies.
Exercises
I. state whether each of the statements is true or false
1 . Natural vegetation is uniform.
2. Evergreen forests have trees that shed their leaves.
3. Thorn forests are found in desert areas.
4. Mangrove forests have trees with aerial roots.
5. Forests bring rainfall.
II. Mention any two crops or trees that grow in these forests
1 . Tropical evergreen forests
2. Monsoon forests
111. Match the following
1 . Vedaranyam
2. Andaman
3. Peninsular India
4. Middle Himalayas
S.Thar
a) Deciduous forests
b) Coniferous forests
c) Thorn forests
d) Mangrove forests
e) Evergreen forests
IV. Write a note on conservation of forests and wild life.
Project
I. Let us grow more trees-Save Nature
Name of student
Class
Date of Birth
Name of the parents
Address
Phone number:
Sir/Madam,
Subject:-Tree plantation
My son/daughter will plant a tree (type of tree)
on at (place) as a part of the project
Mobile number:
"Conservation of trees".
Date:
Place:
Signature of parent
Among the following things pick out those we use for purposes lll<e
cooking, travelling and making ornaments.
petroleum
coal
copper
cotton
aluminium
wool
leather
J^N
^
We call products like petroleum, coal, copper and gold minerals.
Minerals are products that are found In rocks and under the ground.
The mining industries are responsible for obtaining minerals . A mine is an
excavation in the earth from which ores of minerals can be extracted. Due to
the minerals many industries are established which contribute to the
development of a country.
India is rich in mineral wealth. Minerals are of two kinds namely
Metallic and Non«metaHic. Iron, manganese, bauxite, copper and gold are
the important metallic minerals while petroleum and coal are the important
non-metallic ones. Most of these minerals are found in the Deccan Plateau
and Chota Nagpur Plateau of India.
Iron
of minerals Is called Mine
Iron is called the key mineral. Industries are mainly
dependent on it. The best variety of iron ore is found in
India in the states of Bihar, Orissa and Karnataka. Iron is
also found in Jharkhand, West Bengal, Madhya
Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.
USES OF IRON (eg.)
India-Minerals
i*w?
One fourth of all the iron ore in the world is found in India. Iron is useful
to us in many ways. We make different vehicles and machines using iron. It
is also used in buildings and bridges. [
Iron is one of the major exports of India. Through the ports of
Paradweep in Orissa and Vishakapatnam in Andhra Pradesh it is exported
to different foreign countries.
EXPORT AND IMPORT
When we send products from our country to other countries we export.
When we bring products from othercountries to our country we import.
More export and less importwill contribute to the progress of our country.
GOLD
Gold enjoys great popularity In India. Indians love gold ornaments
and objects made of gold. The gold industry is booming In India .It is even
importing gold.
Gold was primarily found in the mines of Kolar in Kamataka and a few
places in Andhra Pradesh.
MANGANESE
Manganese is found in abundance in
India. This is used in making iron products
and in the glass industry.
Manganese is largely found in Orissa. It can
also be found in Madhya Pradesh, Andhra
Pradesh, Goaand Kamataka.
BAUXITE
Bauxite is an ore of aluminium.
Aluminium is light in nature. It is used in
making vessels, electrical wires, automobiles,
machines and aircraft.
It is found in the following states: Tamil
Nadu, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and
^^^^^^^^ And hra Pradesh.
COPPER
Copperwas the first metal to be used by human beings.
It is widely used in electrical equipments. Copper is mined in Uttaranchal,
Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
^4^^-
COAL
Coal is one of the most
important minerals found
underground.
Coal is primarily used as fuel.
Asia accounts for one-third of the
extent of coal found in the world.
Railway engines, iron factories,
Industries and houses use coal as fuel
for Industrial use
and cooking.
Coal is largely found in Madhya Pradesh, Bihar,
West Bengal, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
Neyveli in Tamil Nadu has a number of coal mines.
PETROLEUM
Petroleum is a natural resource. It Is
believed that petroleum was formed over
millions of years from many landfbmns and
creatures buried underground.
The by products of petroleum are
petrol, diesel, and kerosene all of which are used for generating energy and
as fuel. Petroleum gel or paraffin is also another by product.
Petroleum is found in large quantities in Digboi in Assam and
Ankuieshwar in Gujarat. It is also found in the offshore station of Mumbai
under the sea.
Petroleum is purified in Mumbai, Chennai and Cochin and many by
products are derived from it.
These two underground Non-Metallic Minerals, Coal and Petroleum play
a vital role in the industrial development of India.
CONSERVING OUR MINERALS
Our minerals are being consumed so rapidly that there is a danger of
their running out. We must leam to save them
by using them wisely.
Alternate sources of energy and fuel are
being considered, chief among them being
solar and wind energy. This aims at conserving
the available mineral resources from being
rapidly depleted.
Points to remember
Minerals are found in rocks and underground.
Through mines these mi nerais are obtai ned .
Iron, oopperand gold are the most used minerals in India.
Coal and petroleum are non-metallic minerals.
Conserve the minerals and use them wisely.
Some interesting facts: -
• Karnataka is the only state where mercury is found.
• Bihar is the only state in India where pyrite is found.
• Platinum has been discovered in Namakkal District recently.
• Some years ago, dentists used gold to fill cavities in teeth.
ir Gypsum is found in thestateof Himachal Pradesh in India.
Exercises
I. Do you agree?
1. Gold wasfound in Karnataka.
2. Half of the Coal in the world is found in Asia
3. Copper is found in Rajasthan
4. Aluminum is heavy
5. Solarenergy is a natural resource
II. Answer the following questions
1. What are minerals?
2. Name the major minerals found in India
3. How was petroleum formed?
4. What is the state of minerals in the world today?
5. What are the alternate sources of energy?
III. Activity
1 . Find out if there are any minerals found in your area. Tell your friends
about them.
2. Form two groups and find out what minerals are used at home and in
yourschool and for what purposes.
3. Write a small report of your findings and read it out.
Project
1. Bring samples of some minerals. Display them on a table. Label
them and appoint students to speak about each of the minerals.
2. Make a model of a plane or engine or car using some of the minerals
and cardboard.
SiBEYOND FRO
SPACE
Space has roused human curiosity for generations. What is space?
The atmosphere surrounds the earth for a distance of 1600kms. Beyond
this is the limitless space. It is an extension of the sky. The solar system is
part of this space. Ancient Indian scientists and astronomers like
Aryabhatta and Bhaskara have given a lot of facts about space and the
heavenly bodies through their intense studies and research. Research
about space continues even today.
ARTIFICIAL SATELLITES
Space scientists have created artificial satellites to study space.
Satellites are machines specially made by scientists. These satellites are
sent into space by means of rockets. Space stations are set up in space to
conduct research.
Russia and U.S. A have
competed with each other
in sending satellites into
space. On Oct4-1957
Russia sent Sputnik -1 .This
was the first space satellite.
In the same year in
November Russia sent a
dog Laika in Sputnik 2,
another satellite. After this,
America sent its own satellite "Explorer" to space.
Do you know?
From the year 1975 to July 2010, India has sent 56 satellites
Into space.
INDIAN SATELLITES
On 19^ April 1974, India sent its first satellite
Aryabliatta into space followed by Bhaskara 1 , Rohini,
Apple, lnsat-1A, lnsat-1B, PSLVC-etc.
In October 2008 India sent Cliandrayaan-I, an
unmanned satellite to the moon. It was intended to
study the lunar surface in detail.
Recently in July 201 through the satellite PSLV C-1 5,
five smaller satellites have been launched for space research.
For your information
PSLV-C15 was launched from Satish Dhawan space
centre in Srihariicota. Images taken by its camera can be
used for planning roads in villages, building harbours,
preparing accurate maps etc. ^
THE FIRST MAN IN SPACE
Russia realized its dream of being the first to send a
man into space. On April 12^, 1961, Yuri Gagarin, a
Russian cosmonaut, became the first human to travel into
space in Vostok I. After his retum, he became an instant
celebrity.
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9s:
Do you know?
Astronauts - Name given to space travellers by America.
Cosmonauts - Name given to space travellers by Russia,
THE FIRST MAN ON THE MOON
America was not far behind in space travel. In July,
1 969, Nell Amnstrong of America was the first to set foot
on the moon. The second man was Edwin Aldrin who
went along with him in the spaceship Apollo XI They
brought back samples of rocl< and soil from the lunar
surface.
Amistrong spoke the famous
'words, 'One small step for man, and
one giant leap for man kind". Aldrin and
Amistrong said that they had come
from the planet earth in a spirit of
friendship and peace. They signed
under these words on a plate and left it
on the moon.
SPECIAL TRAINING GIVEN TO SPACE TRAVELLERS
1. To swim in the deep water of the ocean.
2. To wear a space suit and play Tennis In water.
3. To stay in a room with low atmospheric pressure for hours together
and rectify the defects of the machines.
4. To stay In a place with less gravitational force for certain hours.
5. To operate all the machines connected with a space vehicle.
THE SPACE SUIT
Astronauts need to wear a special dress known as
the space suit while going into space. This protects
them from breath lessness as there Is no air in space.
This saves the body from excessive cold. This suit is
also designed to provide enough oxygen to breathe
and It helps to keep up the blood pressure of the body.
Without this suit, space travel is impossible.
SPACE STATION
16 Nations of the world set up an
international space station in space to conduct
thorough research and gather information. |^
Astronauts from different countries spend time
there and send useful information to the earth.
INDIAN ASTRONAUTS
On 2"' April 1984 India sent Rakesh Sharma into
space in Soyuz T-11 a spacecraft. He became the first
Indian space traveller. He spent 8 days in space aboard the
Salyut 7 space station in order to do research.
India ranks 7^ in sending satellites into space.
Apart from Rakesh Sharma two women of Indian
origin namely Kalpana Chawla and Sunitha Williams went
into space to do research.
Do you know?
Valentlna Tereshkova was the first woman to go into space,
KALPANA CHAWLA
Kalpana Chawla of Indian origin went to space in the
space ship Columbia in the year 1997. In her first mission
she was mission specialist and prime robotic ami operator
on space shuttle SIS 87. In her second mission she was
one of the seven members of the crew of STS-107 as
mission specialist. This mission from 1 6"" January 2003 to
1'^ Febmary 2003 lasted 1 5days, 22hours and 21 minutes
in space. The crew conducted nearly 80 experiments related to microgravity,
earth and space science, advanced technological development and
astronaut's health and safety. Unfortunately while returning, the space craft
exploded in space. All the astronauts on board were killed.
SUNITHA WILLIAMS
Sunitha Williams was born on September 19^" 1965 in
Cleveland in the district of Ohio in USA. Her father is Doctor
Deepak Pandya of Indian Origin.
EDUCATION
Sunitha was full of grit and determination from
childhood itself. After her graduation in 1987, she joined the
navy and rode helicopters. She has the experience of 2770 flying hours in
30 different types of aircraft.
AMBITION TO BECOME AN ASTRONAUT
She dreamt of flying into space as she rode helicopters. In order to
qualify herself for this, she did higher studies in engineering in the Institute
of Technology in Florida. She was selected in 1 998 as an Astronaut
SPACE TRAVEL
On December 9, 2006 she was launched to the international space
station with STS-116 aboard the shuttle
Discovery. She spent 6 months there.
She installed a new instrument in the space
station to get electricity from solar rays. She
completed 3 space walks in 9 days.
INTERESTING EXPERIENCES IN SPACE.
In space, eating and drinking should be done with utmost care. Once when
Sunitha Williams started taking almonds, all slipped away from her hand
and began to float in the craft. She had to swim inside to pick them up one by
one.
Another interesting experience was when she wanted to mix sauce in
her food. As she opened the packet, the sauce came out with force and
floated here and there. She tried to catch it. Then she found the lid and
closed the packet with great difficulty.
ACHIEVEMENTS IN SPACE
Doctor Catherine held the record of the
longest stay in space. Sunitha Williams
broke this record by staying 195 days in
space. This became the longest stay by any
person in space.
NASA is planning another trip to space
in Soyuz 31 , in June 201 2. Sunitha Williams
is expected to be a part of that team. She
stands 24*^ in the list of astronauts who have
achieved heights in space travel.
Recent News : A group of scientists under the leadership of
astro- scientist Crowther Paul of London Sheffield university
have discovered a star 320 times bigger and brighter than the
sun. They have named it the "Monster star". This is 265 times
heavierthanthesun.
USES OF SATELLITES
Satellites are useful to mankind in many ways.
1. They have contributed significantly towards understanding the earth
based activities.
2. They help us to understand about the ozone layer.
3. They help us to discover the archeological sites or geological
formations which were impossible to identify otherwise.
4. They connect people of all countries through effective communication.
5. They help us to understand climatic changes.
Space will continue to fascinate people. Everyday newer and newer
information continues to emerge. A day might come when space tourism
will become possible.
Climatic Changes
Some interesting facts.
1 . The youngest person to fly in space in Giierman Titov. He was 25 years
old when he flew Vostok2.
2. The oldest person to fly in space was John Glena. He was 77 years old
when he flew on STS - 95.
3. SHAR stands for Sriharikota. It is the launching centre for all Indian
satellites.
4. Dr.Vikram Sarabhai is considered as the father of Indian Space
Programme.
5. The main factor in space travel is the gravity change experienced by
the body.
6. To do any work in space, Astronauts have to move only the body parts
like hands and legs and not the entire body.
7. The famous motto of KalpanaChawla was "Follow your dreams".
8. Chandrayaan's most important discovery was the presence of water
molecules in lunar soil.
Indian Missiles
Artificial Satellite aroufid the earth
Expansions:
1. INSAT - Indian National Satellite System
2. EDUSAT - Educational Satellite
3. PSLV - Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
4. GSLV - Geo -synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle
5. ISRO - Indian Space Research Organization.
6. NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Exercises
I. Choose the correct answer:-
1 . The number of planets in the Solar system is
a. 7 b.9 C.8
2. The first country to send a satellite into space was
a. America b. Russia c. India
3. The first satellite in space was
a. Sputnik I b. Explorer c. Bhaskara
4. The space ship in which Sunitha Williams went was
a. Discovery b.Apollo c.Explorer
5. The number of days spent by Sunitha Williams in space was
a. 200 b.195 c.190
IL Answer in a word:-
1 . First animal in space
2. First man in space
3. First man to set foot on the Moon .
4. The first satellite launched by India .
5. Name of India's satellite to the Moon .
III. Fill In the blanks:-
1 . Y— r— G— g — r— n
2. Sr— ha k— t—
3 . A — y — b — a — t a
4. A— dr
5. R— h— n—
jm.
IV. Write briefly
1 .Experience of Sunitha Williams in space.
2.The Space Suit
3.Any 2 uses of satellites
Activity
Discuss with your teacher about the changes that take place
during Space Travel.
Project
• Visit the Biria Planetarium and record your observations.
• Try to make a telescope using PVC pipes with the help of
your teacher.
I
ft.
READ AND ENJOY
I AM SPACE
I am the limitless space here
To speak to you Children dear!
Humans to explore me did aspire,
In rockets did fly higher and higher,
Yuri Gagarin, Neil Armstrong - two brave hearts,
Were the world's pioneer astronauts.
Russia and America, then came India,
She sent her own Rakesh Sharma.
Then came the gritty Kalpana
Followed by adventurous Sunitha.
More and more to me .are drawn
Space Research is going on and on
So children! have faith, dream and fly
III ^
Be brave and set your goals high!
N.Bhuvaneswari
k\
T^^T— 1 — I T 1— r
i
OUR GOVERNMENT
Elango's family is visiting Delhi. His parents, Elango and Minnal, iiis
sister see tine Parliament House of India, in New Delhi, They see the
Rashtrapathi Bhavan too, which is the residence of the Indian President.
Both Minnal and Elango have a lot of questions about the President, the
Prime Minister and other ministers governing our nation. His mother,
Mangai who is a government employee in the Secretariat, Chennai,
responds to their curious queries by explaining about the government-
State Government, Central Government and Union Territories etc.
We live in groups because many conveniences like roads, water,
electricity, transport, schools and hospitals can serve all of us. It is cheaper
and more efficient when we share such facilities. But at the same time, we
need rules on how to live in groups. We select some people among us to
write these rules and ensure that all of us follow these rules.
Those we select to do these tasks form a government. Government
makes common rules into laws. All of us need to follow the laws laid down by
the government. The government is the agency which enforces these
common rules or laws upon society.
Government functions at different
levels. Just as in your school you have
classrooms and then primary school,
middle school and high school sections,
we have different levels of government.
Chennai for example is a city. It has a
form of government called "Municipal
Corporation". Villages have a local government called panchayat.
i\
g
Chennai is in a larger piece of land called Tamil Nadu, just as your
class is part of the primary section of your school. Larger areas like Tamil
Nadu are called states. We who live in this area elect members of the
government. This government is called the state government.
Tamil Nadu is part of a larger land and society called India, just as
primary section of your school is part of the whole school. There are 28 such
states. All these states together form the Indian Union and we have a
Union or Central Government.
Democracy is the government of the people, by the people and
for the people.
i]
Democratic country
India follows a democratic form of governance. In a democratic
country, people elect their representatives or leaders through elections.
Citizens of 18 years and above can cast their vote in the elections. These
elected leaders fomri the government. The majority of our population lies in
the villages and the rest live in towns and cities. It is not possible for the
central govemment to see to the needs of the people living in many states.
So In India, we have the following three levels of government.
* The Central Government or Union Govemment
* State Governments
* Local Self Govemments.
/^O YOU KNOW 7
The Constitution has laid down some directions for the
govemment to follow. These are called Directive Principles .They
help the government to function better, for the welfare of the people, j
.J
Important subjects like foreign affairs, defence and finance are with
tlie central government .During any crisis the central govemment comes to
the rescue of the state govemment.
THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT
This consists of the President, Vice-
president and a Councii of l\/linisters
headed by the Prime l\/llnister. The
Parliament is the iaw making body, it
consists of the President and the two houses
namely- LokSabha and RajyaSabha.
THELOKSABHAORTHELOWERHOUSE
It consists of 545 members. Its members are elected directly by the
people. So this Is also called House of the People.This Is the primary
source of political power in the country. The members of Lok Sabha are
elected for a term of 5 years. Any Indian who is 25 years of age can stand for
elections to the Lok Sabha.
The country is divided into many constituencies. The candidate who
gets the highest number of votes in a constituency is declared as a
member. The Lok Sabha can have a maximum of 552 members.
Lok Sabha elects one of its own members as its Presiding Officer and
he is called the Speaker. He Is assisted by the Deputy Speaker , who is also
elected by Lok Sabha. The conduct of business in Lok Sabha is the
responsibility of the speaker.
^
DO YOU KNOW?
r/ie first Lok Sabha was formed in 1952, after Generai Eiections
MsMeira Kumar is ttie first woman speaker of Lok Sabtia.
r
THE RAJYA SABHA OR THE UPPER HOUSE
Its members are elected by Members of State Legislative
Assemblies. There can be a maximum of 250 E
members.-238 elected members 12 members are
nominated by tfie President of India. They are elected
for a term of 6 years.One third of its members retire
every 2 years. New members replace them. The Vice-
President is the Chairman of the RajyaSabha.
'^DO YOU KNOW ? ^**
Rajya Sabha is a permanent body. It cannot be dissolved. The
LokSabha however can be dissolved by the President .
THE PRESIDENT (FIRST CITIZEN OF THE COUNTRY)
The members ofthe two houses are called Members of Parliament or
MPs. The members of the Parliament and the State Legislative
Assemblies elect the President of India. The President of India is the
Head of the country. He resides at the Rashtrapathi Bhavan., The
President is elected for a term of 5 years.
C!!
YOU KNOW 7
Mrs. Pratibha Patil is the first woman President of India
ia. ^
HOW IS GOVERNMENT FORMED?
The most important feature of our democracy is the multi-party
system. Different parties put up their candidates for election. The party that
gets the maximum number of votes forms the government.
The party that forms the government then elects its leader. The
President appoints him as the Prime Minister and on his advice the other
ministers. But the Prime Minister is the more powerful and effective head of
the government. The Prime Minister chooses ministers for different
portfolios lilce foreign affairs, agriculture, defence etc. They are appointed
by the president and together they form the council of ministers or Union
Cabinet. The ministers in the Union Cabinet can be either from the Lok
Sabha or Rajya Sabha.
'^@^^
J *
' A
STATE GOVERNMENT
Government at the state level is called State Government. Every state
has the Legislative Assembly. The representatives who win the elections
are called Members of Legislative Assembly (M L As) They are elected by
the people who are more than 1 8 years of age. They are elected for a term of
5 years.
The President appoints the Governor of the state, who is the head of
the state. The Governor appoints the leader of the majority party as Chief
Minister. The Chief Minister forms his council of ministers.
UNION TERRITORIES
A Union Territory is an administrative division of India. Unlil<e states,
which have their own governments, Union Territories are directly ruled by
the Central Government.
During the British rule, some of our regions were either
directly ruled by the British or as Princely States by the local rajas. After
1956, these colonies especially French and Portuguese colonies in India
were incorporated into the Republic as Union Territories..
S.No
Union Territories
Capitals
1.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Port Blair
2.
Chandigarh
Chandigarh
3.
Dadra & Nagar Haveli
Silvassa
4.
Daman & Diu
Daman
5.
Lakshadweep
Kavaratti
6.
Puducherry (Pondicherry)
Puducherry
7.
National Capital Territory of Delhi
New Delhi
^i^^
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n
Activity
Have a role play of Central Government and ministers and State
Government and ministers in tiie dass witti tfie help of your teacher to
discuss an urgent problem to be solved at once.
JUDICIARY
In India, our constitution has provided an independent judiciary. The
^ Supreme Court In New Delhi Is the highest judicial body. Its decision Is final
L. k^m in any legal case. The Chief Justice of Supreme Court Is appointed by the
^^ President on the advice ofthe Prime Minister.
Suprenne Court
The highest court in the State is the High Court. There are District
Courts at the district level .
You will come to know more about the Judiciary in the higher classes.
Find Out
The name ofthe present Chief Justice of India.
INDIA AND HER NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES
India as a sub- continent Is sunnounded by some countries which are
known as neighbouring countries. Indian neighbouring countries are as
colourful as India herself. India's neighbours are : Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal,
Sri Lanka, China, Bangladesh, Afighanlstan.
1
y #,
The SAARC
The South Asian Association for Regionai Co-operation is an
economic and political organization of eight countries in Southern Asia.
They are India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives,
Pakistan and Afghanistan. SAARC was established and its charter was
adopted on December 8* 1985. . It also encourages conDperation in
agriculture, health, population control, rural development and science and
technology.
SAARC COUNTRIES
/I
MYANMAR
Myanmar, formeriy known as Burma, Is taking some constructive steps
towards becoming a member of the SAARC family.
4 V
X
Add to your memory
Majority party-The political party that gets the maximum number of votes in
the election.
Points to retain
® India follows a democratic form of governance, where any citizen who
is 1 8 years of age and above can cast his/her vote.
® The Parliament is the law making body. It consists of the President and
the Two Houses- Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha
® The President is the first citizen of our country
® Members of the two houses are the Members of Parliament.
® The Prime Minister chooses various ministers in the cabinet for
different portfolios.
® The Governor is the head of the state and he appoints the Chief
Minister of the state.
® The Supreme Court in New Delhi is the highest judicial body in the
country.
Interesting Facts
® The national emblem of India is an adaptation from the Sarnath lion.
® The design of the Indian National Flag was adopted by the
constituent assembly of India on 22"'' July 1947.
® The new rupee symbol is ^ . It was created by Udaya Kumar.
® Satyameva Jayathe means "Truth Alone Triumphs".
® Our National Anthem "Jana Gana Mana" should be sung within 52
seconds.
® Sri Aurobindo translated "Vande Mataram", our National song into
English.
® Population wise India stands second in the world.
jt B
1
Exercise
I. Answer in two or three sentences:
1 . How is the President of India elected?
2. How are the members of the Lok Sabha elected?
II. Answer briefly:
1 .Write in brief about SAARC.
2. Write about the relationship of India with her neighbouring countries.
III. Find the odd man out:
1 . a)Supreme Court b) High Court c)Legislative Assembly
b)Goa c)Uttar Pradesh
b) State Government c)Chief Justice
b)Bhutan c)Canada
b) power cut c) earthquake
^
2. a) Puducherry
3. a)Union Government
4.a)Nepal
5. a)Floods
IV. Complete the pairs:
1. Lok Sabha = Lower House; Rajya Sabha =
2. President = Central Government; Governor =
3. Lakshadweep = Kavaratti; Andaman =
4. Myanmar = Burma; Ceylon =
5. Member of Legislative Assembly = MLA; Member of Parliament =
V. Match the following
1. Mrs. PratibhaPatil
2. Mrs. Meira Kumar
3. Rajya Sabha
4. Lok Sabha
5. Supreme Court
Highest Judicial Body
Permanent House
First Woman President of India
First Woman Speaker of Lok Sabha
House of the People
VI. Guess who I am:
I am one of the beautiful buildings of INDIA
I am at NEW DELHI, where leaders meet to discuss the matters related
to the growth of our country.
\k (
»\
II
VII. Among the Presidents of India who has inspired you very much and
why?
X
Fun to do
Find out the hidden words related to government in the word grid given
below.
GRID
c
Q
P
c
H
1
E
F
M
1
N
1
S
T
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1
8
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P
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1
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U
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1
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1
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1
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1
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1
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1
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B
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Project
Conduct an election in your class for Class Leader and 2 Assistant Leader-
Hints:-
1. Symbol
2. Candidates
3. Campaign
4. Booth
5. Ballot paper
6. Marker
7. Election Officers
8. Booth agents
9. Counting
10. Announcing results.
Fatima
Sulaiman
Fatima
Sulaiman
RAL GOVERNir^BODIE
: Dad, how beautiful these fields look!
: Yes my dear. You can't see greenery like this
anywhere else.
: See here, all the children are studying with great
interest!!
: SSA has taken a lot of steps to make this possible.
DO YOU KNOW?
SSA- Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is the project of the Central and State
Governments to ensure Education For All children aged between 6 and 14.
Fatima
Sulaiman
It's wonderful .1 am happy to see farmers using
tractors in the field and children learning.
I'll explain to you about the people who are
involved in this process and also about the local
self government.
The Government of our country is doing its best to provide for the
welfare and development of the people. People are the most important
resource of a country. Utilization of this human resource in an effective
manner will result in the prosperity of the nation.
India is a democratic country. Majority of the people live in villages.
The people are very important at the local level. To improve the basic
amenities like Education, Drinking water, Health care and Sanitation in the
villages, we have local self- government. This is run by the local people.
^
DO YOU KNOW?
The stone inscriptions of Uttaramerur,
in Kanchipuram District sfiow evidence of
tine existence of local self government
during the Chola period itself.
I
1
IMPORTANCE OF LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT
1 . The villagers know the existing problems in their villages. They also
know how to solve them through discussions.
2. They participate in the development programme actively since
whatever they do will result in the improvement of their living conditions
in the villages.
People are empowered to tackle natural calamities like drought, floods
and earthquakes.
Do you know ^
Before Panchayati Raj, most Indian villages had their own
Panchayat - elderly men in the village formed a group to resolve disputes,
take up common work like shoring up a river or canal bank and organise
village festivals. Women were not represented in these traditional
panchayats. Even today, there are traditional panchayats in villages.
Local self-governments are known as:
♦ Panchayat in villages
♦ Municipality in towns and small cities
f Municipal Corporations in big cities
THE THREE TIER SYSTEM
Districts or Zilla Parishads are divided into Blocks or Block Samitis.
They are further divided into Village Panchayats. This three tier system is
the Panchayati Raj System.
k
PANCHAYATI RAJ
District (Zilla Parishad)
I
Block (Block Samiti)
I
f Village (Panchayat)l
I
VILLAGE PANCHAYAT
We have the Panchayat system in the
villages to settle problems, to improve the
condition of the village or to make the people
participate in the developmental programmes.
We can have Panchayat in a village where the population is more
than 500 people. Where the population is less, two villages can have one
Panchayat.
The functioning of the Village Panchayat has been according to the
needs of the people at different times. It holds office for five years.
The word "Panchayat" means a Committee of five people.
The members of the Panchayat in a village are elected by the people
who are 1 8 years of age and above.
The President of the Panchayat has an important role to play in the
growth and the activities of the village.
The Vice-President is also
elected by the people of the village. L A^ if'l^'-^^ '-
The meetings of the Panchayat are 1^.^^^^^^^ i
presided over by the President and
he /she is assisted by the Vice-
President. In the absence of the
President, the Vice-President
looks after the affairs of the
Panchayat.
The Secretary of the Panchayat is responsible for maintaining the
accounts of the Panchayat. He/she is a permanent employee of the
Panchayat.
DO YOU KNOW?
In many villages of India, the president is a woman.
Activity
Find out the name of the President of the panchayat of your
village or neighbouring village.
SOURCES OF INCOME
It gets income from:
1 . Government grants
2. Taxes on houses, shops and fairs
3. Sale of cattle
4. Sale of village properties
5. Fees from registration
DO YOU KNOW ?
According to Right to Education Act 2009, compulsory education
given to all children.
IS
Important functions of the Gram Panchayat
1. Construction and maintenance of village wells,
tanks, roads etc.
2. Providing education
3. Health and hygiene
4. Providing drinking water and electricity
5. Organizing fairs and festivals
6. Maintenance of village libraries
7. Maintenance of maternity
centres
^^ft^^r ^^^E^ ' ''^m
DO YOU KNOW?
Polio drops are compulsory for
children below the age of 5.
Activity
Collect information on the role of SSA in the development of
education at the village level.
Advantages of Village Panchayat
1 . Each individual participates in the developmental growth of
the village.
2. People become self-reliant and independent.
3. The Village community as a whole is involved in solving the
problems of the village.
4. Each person contributes to the growth of the village.
Precautions taken on special occasions in villages.
During festivals and fairs adequate arrangements are made to
prevent the out break of cholera and other contagious diseases.
Children are vaccinated in schools to safeguard them.
Twice a year medical check-ups are arranged by school authorities.
Groups of doctors conduct health camps for the children.
THE IMPORTANCE OF WOMEN IN PANCHAYAT
In the panchayat elected women members should be one-third of the
total number of elected members.
The participation of women in the
local level leads to the welfare of the
community. Elected women
members contribute to the growth of j^
villages effectively. This experience
becomes more useful at the state
level. States are able to deal with
issues like alcoholism, poverty, j^^
female infanticide etc. ...easily.
When they get elected to the State or Central Governments, this experience
at the local level helps them to bring the desired results.
MUNICIPALITIES AND MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS
In towns and cities, Municipalities and Municipal corporations carry
out the work of providing civic amenities to the people. Smal ler cities which
are less populated have Municipalities. Where the population is 10 lakhs
and above we have Municipal Corporations (eg: in metropolitan cities like
Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai).
In Tamil Nadu we have ten Corporations.
1.
Chennai
6. Tiruchirappalli
2.
Madurai
7. Tirupur
3.
Coimbatore
8. Erode
4.
Salem
9. Vellore
5.
Tirunelveli
lO.Tutlcorin
DO YOU KNOW?
The present system of local self government was introduced
by Lord Ripon, the British Viceroy in 1882.
The Corporation Building in Chennai is called Ripon Building
You will learn about the Block Samiti, District Boards, Municipalities
and Municipal Corporations in detail in the higher classes.
VILLAGE EDUCATION COMMITTEE
In our country free education is
provided for tlie scliooi going cliildren at
tiiese levels, viz. primary, middle, higher and
higher secondary levels. In these schools a
village education committee is organized to
help the growth of educational activities. The
president of the village panchayat will act as
the chairperson of this committee and the
Headmaster/Headmistress of the schools will be the Secretary. There will
be a total of 20 members in this committee.
FUNCTIONS OF VILLAGE EDUCATION COMMITTEE:
1. To enroll more children in schools.
2. To supervise that all children attend school regularly.
3. To stop child labour.
4. To improve the standard of education.
5. To celebrate school functions.
6. To improve the infrastructure of the schools.
Try to find out the VEC day (Village Education Committee)
and birthday of our great leader KamaraL
DUTYOF THE COMMUNITY
It is the duty of the Community to support the government in solving
the problem of water scarcity in towns and cities. We as individuals can
contribute to this by using water carefully. As citizens of this large
democratic country we should create awareness among others in this
aspect, (eg: at home, at school, at the public places etc.)
SOME TIPS TO SAVE WATER
Use water sparingly while bathing, washing clothes and brushing teeth
Close the taps when you are not using water
DO YOU KNOW:
Chennai has the oldest Municipal Corporation in India. It was set up
in 1688.
Nagar Panchayats, Cantonment Boards and Port Trust are the
other urban bodies. '
^
Activity
Discuss the various methods of water conservation and the
role of the people in helping the government.
PRIVATE PROPERTY AND PUBLIC PROPERTY
Things that are owned by individuals are called private property.
Eg: house, toys, fumiture etc. We take special care of them and ensure
their proper maintenance.
Some things which we see in our surroundings, do not belong to any
single person. They belong to ali the people. Eg: local parks, local school,
railways, post offices.etc. These are maintained by the government from
the money we pay in the form of taxes.
PROTECTING PUBLIC PROPERTIES
There are many public properties like parks, schools, railways,
buses, government hospitals, public libraries, etc. These are very much
useful to the public and are maintained by the government for the welfare of
the people. It is the duty of every citizen to protect them.
Our role in protecting public properties
1 . We should not indulge in any kind of unmly behaviour like writing
on the seats or the walls of the public transport vehicles.
2. We should protect the places of cultural heritage and religious
worship.
3. We should not spit or commit nuisance in the market or public
places.
4. We should not break things in the classrooms.
5. We should not pollute water, air and land.
6. We should not tear pages or damage the books in the library.
7. We should not pluck flowers from the parks.
8. We should keep public places like the beach, bus terminus, air
ports, hospitals, railway stations, tanks, roads etc. clean.
j»- ^^
■IB^M
^^M
^^1
IV^^'' 4^^H
^^
E^
^^^:^
j i
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Remember: Whenever we cut down a tree, we should remember
to plant a sapling.
\M^
Do You Know?
Drinking polluted water causes 25 Crore cases of water related
diseases and kills about 50-100 lakh people every year.
Activity
Discuss about basic health care with your friends and teachers
in the class.
Inter-dependence and unity are important for the growtii of any
nation. Tinis sinouid start from our iiome, scliool and society.
Do You Know?
Plastic goods, aluminium cans and silver foil are a few non-
degradable waste materials. They pollute the environment. Save
our Earth, Say 'No' to plastic.
♦
To sum up
People are the most important source of a country.
Local Self Governing Bodies are important for the welfare of the
nation.
The three tier system of Panchayati Raj are (i) District or Zilla
Parishad (ii) Block Samiti and (iii) Village Panchayat .
Participation and contribution of women at the local level results
in the development of the entire community.
Administration of urban areas is effectively done by
Municipalities and Municipal Corporations.
Interesting Facts.
# Mahatma Gandhi said, " India lives in her villages".
# Gandhi said, "The best, quickest and the most efficient way is to
build from the bottom. Every village has to become a self-sufficient
republic.
# In the Chola Kingdom the members of the local governing
panchayats were elected by a system of "Kudavolai."
# Roughly about twenty or more panchayats unite to make a
panchayat union or a Block.
# The panchayat has the right to remove unauthorized constructions.
EXERCISES
I. Complete the statements
1 . Panchayat means
2. The three tier system of Panchayati Raj are , and
3. In the local self government people are empowered to tackle
4. Compulsory education is provided for the children according to
5. and are important for the growth of any nation.
II. Answer in a sentence or two
1 . What is a Panchayat and who is its head ?
2. Where do we have Municipalities?
3. Give the names of four Metropolitan cities in India.
III. Give brief answers
1 . Important functions of Panchayat.
2. Sources of income of Village Panchayat.
3. Importance of women in Panchayat.
4. Functions of Village Education Committee.
5. Some ways of protecting public properties.
IV. Choose the correct answer
1 . was the first British viceroy to introduce the present
system of local self government in India.
(a)Robert Clive (b) Lord Ripon (c) Lord Canning
2. In the Gram Panchayat the elected women members should be
of the total elected members.
(a) 1/3 (b)2/3 (c)1/4
3. is one of the corporations of Tamil Nadu
(a) Thenkasi (b) Pudur (c) Madura!
4. is a public property.
(a) car (b) government school (c) home
V. Guess who I am
I have trees, plants and colourful flowers. I give fresh air. Children play
while elders walk here.
VI. Puzzle
Clues :( down)
1 . We have these in villages (5 letters) F .
2. Governing body of the village (9 letters)? .
3. One of the Corporations of TamilNadu (5 letters) E .
4. We go there to read books (7 letters)L .
5. Scheme for education for all (3) S .
Clues :(across)
1 . Opposite of urban ( 5 letters ) R .
2. Public property (5 letters) P .
3. Government gives this for development(5 letters) G .
4. Government does this for bad roads(6 letters) R .
5. This is collected by the government(3 letters) T- .
1
F
3
E
1R
M
M
■^*
9
2 P
5
S
Ig
1
1—
4 R
5
T
Project
^ Visit a Village Panchayat, meet the members and get to know the
various developmental activities of the village.
* Form a Panchayat in your own class and discuss about the existing
problems in your village or neighbouring village.
V. How is your room?
JIB.
A. untidy
B. tidy
Administrative structure of India
Government
of India
1
r
State Governments
1
r
Divisions
1
r
Districts
r
1
r
^
1
r
y
r
1
r
^ Blocks
^^Municipal 1
\ Corporations
IMunicipaiitles
City Councils
^
r
^
r
Villaaes
^
w
vv
aras
TJTTiiii
OAD SAFE
The Principal had organized a grand celebration of Road Safety \
Week in school. Traffic policeman Balu from the nearby police station was
invited as the chief guest of the function. He was asked to create an
awareness of road safety rules among the students of class V.
The class teacher brought traffic policeman Balu to the class and
introduced him. Balu encouraged the class to have a discussion with him
about road safety and traffic rules.
"Which is a safe place to cross?" asked Lakshmi.
"The zebra crossing that is
the black and white lines on the
road is the safest place to cross
the road. Zebra crossings are
also known as pedestrian
crossings. Pedestrians are
people walking on or near the
road. ^
Apart from zebra
crossings, subways and footbridges are provided on big roads. You must
use them as they help you to avoid the traffic.
When you are at a pedestrian crossing, wait until the vehicles have
stopped and / or the green man shows in the traffic light. But if you are not at
a pedestrian crossing, you should wait until you know that it is safe to cross
the road. If it is difficult, see if a policeman is nearby. You can seek his help."
"Supposing there is nozebre crossing what should I do?" asked Ravi.
"Then you should follow some rules. Look before you cross. First look
to your right, then left and then to your right again. Do you know the reason
for this? Traffic usually moves from your right hand side when you start to
cross a road. So, to cross the road safely, you need to check if your right
side is dear of traffic first. When it is dear, check that the left side is also
dear of traffic. You should then check the right side again before you cross
to the middle of the road to make sure that no vehides have suddenly
appeared. As you reach the
middle of the road, you should
look again to your left.
An important thing to
remember - On some roads all
the traffic moves the same way.
These are called one - way
streets. That is why you should
always look both ways before
crossing."
Rashid, who didn't like waiting, asked. "IHow long should I wait to
cross?"
"There is no easy answer to this", said Balu.
"Wait till the road is clear. You must be patient for your own safety."
Some importantthings to remember while cnossing the road:
When crossing, walk not run. If you run, you may fall.
Never cross the road at a comer or curve.
When crossing between vehicles pariced on the side of the road,
remember that you are not visible to the moving traffic (because the parked
vehides may be toller than you). So, stop as you appear from behind the
vehide and look for a safe gap before crossing. Drivers need plenty of time
to see you , slow down and stop.
«
"Have you all understood?" asked Balu.
Tas, Sir^, answered the children In a chorus.
After this discussion Balu left the dass. Then the teacher wanted to find
out whether the children had understood the rules.
The teacher said, "Break up into small
groups and discuss haw you should cross
the road
when there Is a zebra crossing
when there Is no zebra crossing
when there are vehlclee parked on the road
when It la a one-way street
when it is a junction and there is a subway
when there Is an over bridge
when there Is a turning ahead
Then come forward and tell the class-"
The next day, the teacher said, 1 am going to tell you a real life story.
There was a young boy named Shyam In Class V, who travelled by bus
to school every day. Both his parents were working, and he canne to
school with his neighbour KIran who was In Class XI. Kiran and his
Irlends did not travel safely by bus. What do you think they did?' asked
the teacher
'Started late to school?' asked Karthlk.
'Ran to catch a moving busT asked Rajesh.
^
'Stood on the footboard?' asked Meena.
'Stuck their heads out of the bus?' asked Raju.
You are quite correct!' said tine teaciner The older boys were careless and
did the wrong things. One day, on their way to schooi, they wanted to buy
something. They jumped off the moving bus at a traffic junction close to the
school.
|9I
J*<s
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v*>
They forgot about Shyam. Shyam started to
cry. He did not Icnow what to do. Luckily the
driver saw him, and asked him what had
happened. Shyam told him. The driver
helped Shyam to get off at the right stop for
school. In the
^<3:-^^
evening, Shyam
decided to board
the bus on his
own. He had learnt the rules of bus travel the
hard way, and he would never forget them.'
What do you learn from this story?
REMEMBER!
Leave home well In time, so that you won't have to run to catch the bus.
WHILE WAITING FOR THE BUS
At the bus stand, always
follow the queue If it is there.
Board the bus only after It has ^
come to a halt, without rushing -
in or pushing others. While
waiting for a bus, stand on the
pavement. Do not obstruct the
traffic by standing on the road
in front of bus shelters. Do not play at the bus stop.
WHILE BOARDING OR ALIGHTING FROM THE BUS
Do not board or alight at a bus stop other than the one advised by the
school. Never board and alight at a red light crossing or unauthorized bus
stop. Wait for your turn, allow the people to get off the bus before you get on.
Do not push or jostle other passengers. You MUST NOT get on to or hold on
to a moving vehicle.
Fill in the blanks:
Do's
1 . Follow the
Activity
While waiting for the bus
2. Stand on the
Don'ts
1 . Do not at the bus stop.
1 . Do not the traffic.
While boarding or alighting from the bus
Do's Don'ts
1 . Board or alight only at a . 1 . Do not other passengers.
2. Wait for your , 1 . Do not get on to a .
WHILE ON THE BUS
While on the bus, shouting or making a noise is definitely bad
manners. Such behaviour can also distract the driver. Always hold onto the
handrail if standing in a moving bus, especially on sharp turns. Do not sit,
stand or travel on the footboard of the bus.^o not put any part of your body
outside a moving or stationary bus.
don't
shout
AFTER GETTING OFF
If you have to cross the road after getting off the bus, wait for the bus
to go first.
CYCLING TO SCHOOL
Remember these tips.
Do not cycle on the road unless you have been trained.
Before going, discuss the safest route with your parents and follow it.
^ Ride a cycle that suits your height.
Make sure that your brakes are working well and that your tyres are
inflated.
Wear such clothes that do not get caught in the chain or wheels.
^ Wear shoes; while riding they will not slip from the pedals.
Make sure the reflectors are clear.
Use cycle tracks if you are riding along the main roads.
Give a clear arm signal to show what you intend to do.
Follow the traffic rules.
Kumar was feeling a little gloomy at the end of the story. 'I want to be
safe on the road. But how am I going to remember so much?' he asked.
Many students in Class V felt like that.' It
all seemed too much to practise without
help. I
'But there is help!" said the teacher.
Everywhere, there are signs to help you
remember what to do. You just have to
look.'
"Please teach us a few signs that we
need to know,' said Natasha. \
'I am happy that you all want to be safe. I
will teach you today about traffic signs and road markings."
TRAFFIC SIGNS AND ROAD MARKINGS:
Traffic signs regulate the traffic, and tell pedestrians what to do.
Road markings are painted on the road, and they are also used to guide
and regulate the traffic.
\
The most common is the traffic signal. There is a song to tell you about
the signal.
'StopI' says the Red
'Go!' says the Green
'Get Ready I' says the Amber standing in between.
STOP
F
ffis k
What colour is tlie traffic signal, when the green man shines?
There are three kinds of traffic signs:
^ Mandatory or Compulsory signs - these signs just have to be
displayed!
^ Cautionary or Warning signs - they prepare us, so that we can be
safe.
S Information signs - they give us important information.
Red circle
Compulsory DON
Blue circle
^Compulsory DOn
Red triangle
Warning ]
Blue rectangle
Information
Here are a few 'compulsory' signs - they will tell us what kind
of road it is.
ALL MOTOR VEHICLES
NOT ALLOWED
NO PARKING
NO HORN
BUS STOP
F CYCLE PATH ^ ^^ NO ENTRY
Here are some warning signs - they help us to be safe.
[
PEDESTRIAN CROSSING
^
SCHOOL ZONE
1
ROAD REPAIR
>PEED BREAKER
KERJ
UNGUARDED RAIL CROSSING
GUARDED RAIL CROSSING
Here are some 'information' signs - they inform us about facilities available.
1' i^m
^f TELEPHONE ^M
HOSPITAL
1
AUTO STAND
DESTINATION SIGNS
Karttilk's father tDok him to the Traffic Park In the Tamllnadu Science
and Technology Centre, Chennai. This park helps you to learn the traffic
rules easily- everything your sizal You could go there some time.
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In case of Road Accident
LGive Information to tha Traffic Control Room
Call 1 03 - 044-2fl521323, 044-23452362, Dial 1 08 for Ambulance
044- 42042300 & 96400 17626 UfibJlna
2. Give First Aid to the ir^ured
3. Take the injured to the nearest Hospital
I Wearing a helmat protects I rte
SITUATIONS NEEDING EXTRA CARE
Emergen^ vehicles: If an ambulance, fire engine, police or other
emergency vehicle approaches using flashing blue lights, headlights
and/or sirens, keep off the road.
Buses: Get on or oflT a bus only when it has stopped to allow you to do
so. Watch out for cydlsts when you are getting off. Never cross the road
directly behind or in front of a bus. Wait until it has moved off and you
can sea clearly in both directions.
Railway level crossings: Do not cross if the red lights show, an alami is
sounding or the barriers are being lowered. The tone of the alaim will
change If another train Is approaching. If there are no lights, alarms or
baniers, stop, look both ways and listen before crossing.
GUIDELINES FOR PARENTS OF SCHOOL CHILDREN
Parents must participate in Parent Teacher Assodation meetings
and discuss the safety aspects of their children. Whiie taldng their
children to school themselves, they should take proper care of their
safety.
Parents should not allow
their minor chiidran to
drive.
Children are very good
ot>servere and thenafbre,
parents must set an
example by meticulously observing even small traffic mies.
Guidelines fdr teachers for ensuring safety of school children
It is the responsibility of school authorities and the teachers to
ensure the safety of school children and also to impart the necessary
loiowiedge, sicills and attitude to be a safe road user. Teachere should
help to develop a responsible attitude towards road use in school
children. Teachere should impart essential knowledge about roads and
traflHo to school children.
Exercise
Some children were going to school together
Tick the right answers to show who followed traffic rules.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
a. Arul ran across the road.
b. Anita waited for the green man to flash in the signal light
a. Amala jumped into a moving bus
b. Anita waited for the bus to stop and then got in .
a. Raju looked right and left and crossed the road.
b. Prabhu crossed in front of a bus.
a. Kiran used the zebra crossing after the traffic stopped
b. Kirupa crossed in the middle of the moving traffic.
a. Parthiban cycled in the middle of the road.
b. Roshan used the cycle path when he used his cycle.
a. Senthil was travelling on the footboard of a bus.
b. Kamal held onto the hand rail in the moving bus.
a. Kala stood in the queue at the bus stand .
b. Gopal was standing on the road.
a. Lata saw an accident but kept quiet,
b. Keerti saw an accident and dialled 1 08.
*
I
TflT! till I
-«
Introduction
FORTS OF TAMIL NADU
We have heard of names like Red Fort, Gingee Fort, Fort St.George
etc. Do you know the meaning of the word 'Fort'?
In the past kings built huge buildings
as living places as well as for the
purpose of protection. There were
some buildings for trade purposes as
well as storehouses of necessary
articles. These buildings served also
as places of administration. Such
buildings came to be known as 'forts'.
There are different kinds of forts
namely rock forts, brick forts and granite forts. Forts had high walls which
could prevent the easy entry of enemies. For further protection moats were
built around the fort and crocodiles were bred there. This was a further
method of safety.
In Tamil Nadu we have some wonderful forts. We shall learn about
4 of them here.
Something to know
Tort' is the short form of the word 'Fortress'.
'Fortress means a protected place.
GINGEE FORT
Gingee fort is the most ancient among the forts. You can see it in the
Tindivanam-Tiruvannamalai route.
It has existed even before 6 A.D. Its history is very long. It has been
ruled by Jains, Pallavas, Cholas, Pandyas, Vijayanagar Kings, Nayaka
Rulers, Deccan nawabs, Marathas, Arcot Nawabs, Europeans etc. till India
achieved independence. But we will just think of some important and
interesting aspects.
After the fall of the Deccan Nawabs at the end of the 1 7*^
century, Marathas under Chatrapathi Sivaji wrested Gingee from
them. He asked his brother Sambhaji to rule it.The most famous person
associated with this fort was Desingh Raja. The Mughal General Zulfigar
Khan captured Gingee after a tough fight with the Marathas.lt was
handed over to Swaroop Singh the head of the army .
After Swaroop Singh's death, his son Desingh Raja came to the
throne. He hated to be a slave to the Mughal rulers and refused to pay the
tax to the Nawab.So a war took place.At the end of the war Desingh Raja
killed himself to avoid being taken as prisoner of the conquerors.
3
Do you know?
During the reign ofAditya Chola and his brother Rajaraja
Chola 1, Gingee fort was called 'Singapuranadu. '
The Nayaka rulers built tall and strong fort walls with granite, tall
towers with sculptural workmanship, granite temples on the plains and
brickshrines on the peak.
In 1750 A.D. French people who came to India for the purpose of
trade and commerce, attacked Gingee, captured it and controlled it for
about lOyears. During this period the French annexed Vandavasi and
Pondicherry. Then the Britishers attacked the French army and won. They
brought Gingee under their control.
Hyder AN, the General of f"
Mysore, became the king in 1761
A.D. He did not like the British rule
and waged war many times. So the
Britishers made a peace treaty with
him. When Warren Hastings
became the Governor General of
British India, Hyder AN blamed the
Britishers of going against the treaty and waged war. But he was
defeated.The southern parts gradually fell into the hands of the British. In
course of time the Britishers used Chennai fort for the transport facilities
and the French made Pondicherry as their capital and ruled.
The Gingee Fort gradually declined due to neglect. Today Gingee
Fort is placed as a historic monument.
Something interesting
The architecture of Gingee Fort is similar to the
architecture of "I
■ HP w^ ^n^ ^^S^^-r^^'W^JW^Ji
GINGEE FORT
Rajagiri, Krishnagiri, Chandragiri
and Chandrayan Fort
Chandragiri
Rock Fort
For Teachers' reference only
s
INTERIOR OF RAJAGIRI FORT For Teachers' reference only
1 . Office of the Archeological
Survey of India
2. Temple of Lord Shtva
3. Amman Shrine
4. Gateway of Vellore
5. Sadat-ul- Khan Mosque
6. Gateway of Pondicherry
7. Venkataramana Temple
8. Turret
9. Stone Workshop
10. Kalyana Mahal
11. Mohamad Khan Mosque
12. Servants' Room
13. Elephant Tank
14. Magazine
15. Gymnasium
16. Granary
17. Venugopalaswamy Temple
18. Temple of Seven Virgins
19. Desingh Raja's Grave
20. Jtmma Mosque
21. Chakkarai Kulam
22. Chetti Kulam
23. Anjaneya Temple
24. Prisoner's Wei!
L
VELLORE FDRT
"i ■ >^ \ I"! : V^ ■ '■'■
Ei3Drf5s?'^**r
:^««
■s 7T?ys-'Tl 1^ H^
^^^
The VUlorQ Fort I9 a large 1 ^ century fort attuated In VUloro city near
ChBnnai.tt WBS built by the NayokgovemorB of the VijayanBgHrempirB and
was ODnstnictnd with lang* granlto bloclca.
Lookot these:
Tin giBndnittpvtg,wkh moat and nlwetatBUonryM
Sm how ttw floift ownersh^ pasMd through many hands.
NayakB ^The Bljapur SuHans ^ Uarathaa ^
Camalk: Nawaba ^The British ^Indapandenl India.
Do you know?
T^M Suttmlt JiMb^ Mtf tfM itot Mig of StflMfca Srf
wnfMffilw ¥nn htiQ 9B nym prtMontft mI dm Jort diif Aiy Bttun niMb
#
There Is wmelhlng very special about this fort. TTib fort houses a
Chriaiian Chun;h, a Muslim mmqus and a Hindu tample which is famous for
ib magniflcani carvinsfi. Tho Hirvlu temple iA called JatagandMwarar
Templa TTie Vislore Fort Is a wondoffUl flO(ample of eeoulartsm.The Spirit of
India Is seen here.
The flret rebellion agahst the British lule erupted at this 1brt In 1806.lt
was also here that ttn VijayanHgar myal family of emparar Sriranga
Raya was massacred.
DdyoukiMiw?
The Usilore Fort was used by the British to stsHon Infiantry Military
unib of Iha Madras Regiment.
The British CommarMler In chief of the Madras Army gave an order
that the soldlere would have lo wear a new round hat Instead of the
tredlUonal turbans. In addition they had to remove their beards, caste
maridngs and jawaHary.
4E^
There were rumours that the hat was made of the hides of cows and
pigs.The Sepoys (foot soldiers ) were deeply offended both by the order
and the rumours.
On July 10, 1806, before sunrise, Indian Sepoys in the Fort attacked
the European barracks there and by late morning had killed about 15
officers and 100 English soldiers. Some of the rebelling soldiers made the
sons of Tipu Sultan lead the campaign.
The Colonel commanding the Cavalry Cantonment in Arcot heard this
news and quickly reached the fort with heavy battalions. The rebelling
Sepoys were mercilessly killed and by noon the rebellion was put down.
This Sepoy Mutiny was the first rebellion experienced in the fort by the British.
INTERESTING FACT
The fort is surrounded by a moat It helped to defend the fort in times
ofinvasions.
FORT ST. GEORGE
Fort St George in 1639 A.D
Remember
Till recently Fort St.George was the administrative headquarters of the
legislative assembly of Tamilnadu.
THE STORY OF FORT STGEORGE
St.George was the first fortress of the British in India. It was founded at
Chennai in 1 639.Today's Chennai (Madras) grew around this Fort.
East India Company's first licensed trading started in the city of Sural.
Soon the company decided to enter into the spice trade for which it was
necessary to have a port nearer to the Malaccan Straits. There was a
banana grove owned by a farmer called Madrasan. Official grant for the
land was given by Venkatadri Nayak, the deputy of the Rajaof Chandragiri.
This was purchased and the construction of a harbour and a fort began. The
day on which the construction work at the fort was completed coincided with
St.George' Day. So this fort was given the name of Fort St.George.
Who was St.George ?
.George was the patron
saint of Britain.
Interesting Fact
ort is surrounded by wa
are 6 metres high.
A/aHs
Soon this place became the heart of merchant activity and
developed into a new settlement area called George Town. This expanded
and became Madras or present day Chennai.
ST.MARTS CHURCH
It is the oldest Anglican Church in India. Robert Clive
and Elihu Yale got manied here.
The Museum Inside has weapons, coins,
li.^ unifomis and other artefacts from Britain, France and
India, all belonging to the British period.
WELLESLEY HOUSE
This has canons belonging to Tipu Sultan.
CLIVE HOUSE
This was once the residence of Robert Clive. It was also known as
"Admiralty House".
Where is Fort St. George?
Name one of the two famous persons who got manied here.
Name the other person.
To whom did the canons displayed in the fort belong?
Known personalities who stayed In the fort or frequently visited It
THARANGAMBADI
Do you know what Tharangambadi means ? In Tamil it means
place of the singing waves."
iHave you been to Nagapattinam ? Some famous piaces there are :
1. Veianlonni Church. 2. FortDansborg
Tharangambadi orTranquebar is a panchayat town in Nagapattinam
district in the state of Tamiinadu.You know what a panchayat, district and
state are. You have read about them In previous lessons. Tharangambadi
was a Danish Colony in India from 1620 to 1845. it is spelt Trankebar or
Tranquebarin Danish.
Like the British had East India Company, the Danish people had a
Danish East India Company. Tarangambadi was founded by the Danish
East India Company in 1620,when the main fort in the Tranquebar
city.known as Fort Dansborg was built as the residence of the governorand
otherofFicials for about ISOyears.
it is now a museum hosting a number of Danish artifacts of that
time.The Danish opened a factory also here, it was sold along with the other
Danish settlements in lndla,Serampore and the NIcobars to Great Britain In
1845.Tranquebar used to be a busy port but it lost its importance when the
railway was opened to Nagapattinam.
Something to know
Bishop of Tranquobar is the official tftfe of a bishop in tho Tamil
Evangelical Luthwan church in South India.
Interesting Facts
The towering flagstaff in Fort. St.George is the tallest in India
St.Mary's church located in Fort St.George is believed to be
the oldest church in the east.
Guards were posted at the entrance of the forts and at
different places near the fort walls to warn about enemies.
There was provision in the architecture of the forts for
sending messages through pigeons / doves and animals.
In memory of the Vellore Mutiny the Indian government
brought out a stamp.
I. Answer these: Exercise
1. Name any three groups of people who ruled over Gingee Fort.
2. Imagine yourself to be Desingh Raja. Enact what you would say to
the Nawab and what do you think the Nawab would have said ?
3. Gingee Fort had the word indicating a lion in its name.What was that
name ?
4. Collect a few pictures of Gingee Fort and make a poster.
5. Show how you would bring out the secular aspect of Vellore Fort
through a drawing of yours.
6. Form into groups.Take the roles of the British Commander in chief of
the Madras Army, a few Sepoys and enact the Sepoy Mutiny in a
symbolic way.
7. Make cards showing four interesting aspects of Fort St.George.
8. Go on a visit to Fort St.George and describe to your friends what you
saw there.
9. You have heard that Tranquebar is a port. What do you have in a
port ? Complete this: -
Ships
10. What was Fort Dansborg mainly built for?
II. Write briefly on each of the following
1. HyderAli 4. How Fort St.George
2. Speciality of Vellore Fort ^^^^ '"*° existence
3. Sepoy IVIutiny 5. Fort Dansborg
III. Complete these mind maps
1. Persons who stayed in or visited Fort St.George
2. Structures inside Fort St.George
3. Ownership of Vellore Fort
Bijapur Sultan ^
Project
1 . Find out about two other forts and write about them on a poster.
2. Conduct a survey in your neighbourhood and complete this table:
S. No
Name of Fort
Number of
People Time of Visit Remarks
Who visited
1.
Gingee Fort
^^^B
^^B
^^H
2.
Vellore Fort
^^^H
^^H
^^H
3.
Fort St.George
^^^1
^^1
^^1
4.
Tarangambadi
^^^1
^^1
^^1
3. Find out which Fort ranks as the favourite of the visitors.
4. Find out if anyone knows about any other Forts. Write a short report
on it after talking to that person.
U^ i I JSlMii^ I mi:m fei Wk^ I M WAY n i aici
How many of you sing? Do you learn classical music ?
How many of you like instrumental music?
Are you learning to play any musical instrument?
Which is your favourite instrument ?
Any 4 of you come and tell us about what you learn .
INTRODUCTION
Today we are going to talk about Musical
li^ MK -*^ ]^K Instnjments. You know that music is a part of
^*^ _ ~ human life. The sounds made by man, birds,
TjS f^^P^ animals, streams etc., had rhythm and
^^^^^^^ % melodyoftheirown.These led to man making
i|t^ "' £ ^^9 1 difterent types of instruments and he found
*r^ - ^ 1 gpgg( jQy |p playing them. Detailed
descriptions of many musical instruments are
found in Sangam Literature. We have ancient
instruments some of which stiii exist and we have modem instruments
which continue to be more and more innovative.
1-Jl'i'iVlr^'^
t#
Let us now look at some musical Instruments
THE STORY OF PARAI
Andent man lived in forests. IHe began to grow crops in fields. When
animals came to eat the crops man began to drive them away at times even
killed them. Man removed the skins of the animals and threw them away
and ate the flesh. The skins dried up. When
the wind blew, the dried skins produced
some sound. Man realized thsA he could
use the dried skins to produce different
kinds of sound. IHe made a type of
instrument and piayed it to drive animals
away. Gradually this instrument
developed into the parai.
PARAI
Parai is a drum,an instrument to convey something.lt was very much
a part of the life of ancient Tamils. 12 drffisrent types of
parai are mentioned in 'Puranaanooru.' The types are
dependent on the occasion the parai is used and also its
appearance and quality of sound. You have heard of the
5 land forms of the Tamils.Each of the 5 land forms had
their own characteristic parai and yazh.The singers in
olden days carried their parai along with the yazh. Both were used either
together or separately while singing.
For your Information
It is believed that young Andal used the'siru parai". This was a small and
easy to hold drum as the name suggests.
Do you imow 7
The 'siru parai' was used while singing the Praise of God in the early
hours of the day before sunrise.
d|^
I
Parai was used for the declaration and the proclamation of
Ancient Tamil Kings' messages and ordersio the public.
KUZHAL
Kuzhal is an original wind instrument of Kerala. Kuzhal is an
important element in 'melams' like Pancharimelam and
Pandimelam. Panctiarimelam is the established temple
percussion music and Pandimelam is a conventional orchestra
regularty played on special occasions in temples. For the duration
of melams, commands for the other players are given by the
gestures of Kuzhal players. Kuzhal is considerably used in the art form
of 'Kuzhal Pathj.'
MELAM - CHENDA MELAM
Chenda melam is used in Kerala. Chenda is made out of a cylindrical
wooden drum and has a length of 2 feet and a diameter of 1foot. Both ends
are covered usually with cow skin.The Chenda is suspended from the
drummer's neck so that it hangs vertically. Using the instrument,the
drummer strilces the upper parchment. The instrument is famous for its loud
sound. It is mainly played in the Hindu religious festivals of Kerala. Panchari
melam is a percussion piece using instruments like Chenda, llathalam,
Kombu and Kuzhal. This is performed during temple festivals in Kerala.
Urumi melain is a popular instrument as well.
YAZH ■
The Yazh is a direct ancestor of mcxlem day
V»na. Tamil literary masterpieces wrttten during
Sangam period dating backtD200B.C. have mentioned
Yazh. How did Yazh get Its name? Since ttie Up of the
Dandi or ttie stem of this instrument was carved like ttie head of the weird
animal Vail' It wee named yazhi oryazti. Ttils head piece continues In the
Vtona. Ttie Yazh was played with the 1i nger? of both the hands.
Only straight notee could be played on this instrument. No gamakas
could be played.
Sonfiethlng Interesting
In Sangam Ltteratura difilerant kinds of Yazh are mentioned.
Perlyazh - 21 strings, Cakotayazh - 14 strings,
Makarayazh - 19 strings.
CenkDttlyazh - 7 strings.
Yazh was considered as a primary instrument as well as an
accompaniment to vocal muslain Silappadikaram tliera Is a mention of
singing to ttie accompaniment of the Yazh. As ttie fi^Ued Vsena emerged
the Yazh went Into ttie background.
In ttie V^das- Rig veda and Atharvana veda ttie Yazh is mentioned as
VSana' and Is called Shatatantri veena orthe hundred stringed lute.
AetfvNy
Find picbuies of these instruments or diaw them : - Violin,veena, guitar,
flute, mridangam
Find out
There is a Timkkural wtiich mentions Yazh.
Find out and write it
^1^
Nadaswaram The Nadaswaram also called
Nagaswaram is one of the most popular
classical Instrumenls of South lndla.lt Is a wind
InstTumentBimilar to the North Indian 'Shehnai'
but larger In 8lze.lt has a hardwood body and a
laige flaring bell made of wood or metal.
In India the Nada&waram i& coneiderad
to be very auspicious and It Is the main
instniment which i& played in almost all IHindu
marriages and temples In South lndla.lt Is a
part of the family of instnjments known as Mangala \^dya (Mangala
means auspicious and vadya means Instnjment). It Is usually played In
paii5,and accompanied by a pair of dmms called Ihavil/
CONSTRUCTION OF NADASWARAM
It contains three parts namely 1 . kuzhal 2. thimlm 3. anasu. The
body of the nadaswaram is made out of a tree called aiaoha.
Due to Its Intense volume and strength the nadaswaram is basically an
outdoor instrument.
EARLY EXPERTS
TN.Rajaratnam Pillai,
Sanglta KalanMhl Thiruvlzhlmlzhalal Subramanya Plllal.
MORE RECENT EXPERTS
Namagiripettai Krishnan, Karukurichi Arunachalam, Sheilch Chinna
Moulana, Madural Chlnnatayi.
Activity
Recall a manlage that you attended. Was there any Nadaswaram being
played theie? Tell your friends about how you found that music.
TAVIL
The Tavil ( Thavil ] is a barrel shaped
percussion instrument frofn South lndia.it is
used in fbik music and Camatlc Music, oftan
accompanying the Nadaswanam. TTie TTiavil
and the Nadaawaram ere a part of ail
auspicious festivals and tempies in South
india. The Thavli consists of a cyilndrlcal sheil holiowed out of a solid biock
of jaclcfrult wood. One side Is covered by goatsidn and the otherside by
buffaio skin. Tlie right head is piayed with the right hand, wrist and fingers.
The player usuaily wears thumb caps on aii fingers. The ieft head Is played
with a short,thlclcstlck made from the wood of the PoiHa tree.
The most weil ioKwn Thavil exponent is N^layapatU Subramaniam.
VEENA
Veena is a plucked stringed Instiument used mostiy in Camatic music.
It Is an Instrument which Is a modified version of the ancient Yazh.'lt Is
mentioned in the Atharvana veda.
As seen in many Hindu temple sculptures and paintings the early Arenas
were played vertically. The great composer Muthuswamy Dikshitar started
playing H horizontally and K became popular. In Hindu mythology Goddess
SaraswathI Is oflen shown sealed upon e swan and playing Veena. Lord
Shiva is also holding a veena.Sage Narada and Ravana were also great
veena players.
_ Rudra vflsna
The three types of Vtoena
^
Vlchltra veena
SaraswathI veena
A veena player is called a 'vainika.'
Tlio well known exponenl of Veeiia wai Vtana Dhanamiml
Lot iw ramomber
Sonne pnonriinent veena vidwans
1 . >ftena Balachandar
2. E-Gayathri
Can you add any mora 7
MRIDANGAM
The Mrldangam Is a percussion
instrument of South India. It is a primary
aoDOfnpaniment in any Camatic Music
concert.
In IHindu mythdooy Lord Ganesha and
Nandl were regarded as great
Mrldangam players.lt Is said that Nandi
played the Mrldangam whan Lord Shiva danced the
Thandavam.lt Is considered to be Deva Uadyam or Divine Instrument
The word Mrldangam Is derived finoin the two Sanskrit words Mrid
(day) and ang ( body }. The flret mrldangams were made of clay.Then wood
began to be used .Today rt is made of the jaclcfnjit tree wood.
FAMOUS MNDANGAM PLAYERS
Palani Subramaniam Piilai, Paighat Mani, Palghat Raghu,
Palghat Raghu, Umayalpuram K.SIvaraman.
Activity
Find pictures of some fiamous Mridangam players and stick them
on a poster.
'^j^-
VIOLIN
The Violin is a stringed instrument. The
standard vioiin has four strings, it is played
with a bow. Its unique aspect Is that it is used
in CamatJc Music, IHindustani Music and
Western Music. Some famous violinists
are Lalgudi Jayaraman. Kunnalcudi
V^idyanathan, M.S. Gopaialcrishnan and
T.N.Krishnan.
Some differant instrumante
Jalatharangam
Chitra Vsena
Soma musicians and their instruments
With whom do you associate these instnjments ? Try to match them.
1. Mandoiin
Shivamani
2. Shehnai
Shivkumar Shamna
3. Santoor
Lalgudi.G. Jayaraman
4. Violin
U.Srlnlvas
5. Drums
BIsmiliah Khan
Interesting Facts
c The pivotal (basic) concept of Indian music is Raga(Melody), Swara
(Note) and Taia (Rliytlim).
o There are seven j^asic notes cailed Saptaswaras.
c Trumpets were biown to announce an'ivals of kings and also during
fisstivais.
c Sivamani is the most famous exponent of the drum in India.
o Lord Shiva is associated with an instrument Icnown in Tamil as
^Udukkai'.
o Viola is a four-stringed instrument similar to a violin but larger in size.
o Table is the North-Indian oounterpart of the South-Indian Mridangam.
Exercises
1. Write the correct name below the picture in the blanks : - (Table,
Veena^ Violin, Guitar, Drums)
i
«a
^ M
fr
ff —
atrial
Hh
y
V
IWK
'Ql
W^
-
K
*f
i
H^
H
^
h
2. Find 5 musical Instruments In the word grid given twlow
QFLUTEXYR
TAVILONMM
SPIANOTYK
CLARINETV
TUVSITARP
3. Shall we classify musical instruments?
We have wind instruments^sbringed instruments and percussion instruments.
Wind Instruments
i Flute Nadaswaram # Clarinet Shehnai %
Can you add any ?
Stringed Instruments
Veena
Violin
Sitar
Sarod
Can you add any ?
Percussion instrumsnts
^ Tavil "^ ^ridangarH ^ labia
^holai^
Can you add any 7
4. Work in pairs. Imagine yourselves to be musical instruments. Teli each
other about yourselves.
5. Imagine you are a flute.Teli your story in your own words. (Hints -
What is a flute? Which God is associated with a flute? Who are the
famous musicians associated with the flute?)
6. Look for a musician in your locality and talk to him.Write down what
you found out in the forni of a dialogue.
7. Fonm a group of instmmentailsts and play a song.
8. Name one famous exponent of Nadaswaram, Veena, Mridangam,
Tavil and Violin.
9. Mention four North Indian instnjments,four South Indian instruments
and four Western instruments.
Find out if there are any instnjments that are common to all the three
types of music.
10. Draw your favourite instrument and coiourit.
11 . If you were given a chance to learn to piay a musical Instrument
which one would you choose and why? Tell your friend about it.
12. Guess who I am. Here are a few description&.Gue&s which musical
instrument it is. The first letter is given.
a. I am like a pot and made of clay. I am a percussion instrument. G .
b. i am lilce a piano. I can imitate any instmment. K .
c. I am a North Indian version of Veena. S
PROJECTS
1. Find out Smodem Instruments and make posters of them.
2. Xylophone
o tall glasses or jars
o water
o mixing spoon
Fill the glasses or jars with drfferont amounts of water. The more water
In the glass, the lower the pitch will be. Having iess water in the glass or jar
wlil raise the pitch. To play, gently strike the glasses with a mixing spoon.
3. Comb Buzzer
o pocket comb
o tissue paper
Fold a piece of tissue paper over ttie tootti edge of a comb. To play, hum through \h&
tissue paper.
b^^^X] BOX GUITAR
i\
TMb is an easy way to make a guitHTiiBuig an oM shoe boK QTliBaiic bcx, mlsbe^
scis^on, apaper-towcl tube, and apenciL
Find an old shoe box, dssue box, or otlicr cardboaid box.
Have an adult cut an oval-ahapedhDle in the top.
— ^ St«*chafcwTubbcrbandsarofundthcboxandofverti^
Put a pencil under Ifae rubber bands on one side.
pptLonal fftepA. 7^ on a paper-towel tube and deooiflte the box.
Live Music Archive
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Metropolitan Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Internet Arcade
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Open Library
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